Twisted, Tied Up, and Tangled Series: Part 1: Iris
by DKM
Summary: WitchbladeSG xover. An eternal love spanning the ages is finally rekindled when Witchblade wielder Sara Pezzini meets singer Darren Hayes. But fairy tales don’t always have happy endings, do they?
1. Prologue: The Weapon, The Myth, The Lega...

The Twisted, Tied Up, And Tangled Series  
  
By DKM  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Summary: An eternal love spanning the ages is finally rekindled when Witchblade wielder Sara Pezzini meets singer Darren Hayes. But fairy tales don't always have happy endings, do they?  
  
Author's Note: Okay, this is my first ATTEMPT at a Witchblade fic, just adding the crossover with Savage Garden and their lead singer, Darren Hayes, makes things a LOT more difficult. I ask for your forgiveness if I'm that horrible at getting things right the first time. Please point them out to me without bashing. I REALLY don't appreciate bashing. That only makes me feel bad. (Unless you're my friend Mel, who knows how to bash without making me feel like crap.) Anyway, please enjoy.  
  
Archive: I'll be setting one up soon. Otherwise, email me at Dmmuzicfan@aol.com  
  
Feedback/Comments: SEE EMAIL ABOVE OR BE NICE AND SUBMIT A REVIEW!  
  
Disclaimer: All rights to Witchblade and its characters belong to Top Cow and TNT. All rights to Savage Garden belong to Savage Garden. I don't own either of the two, as much as I'd like to. Remember, this is entirely FICTION. It's my IMAGINATION at work. Please, don't sue me, as much as you would like to.  
  
Part 1: Iris  
  
  
  
Prologue: The Weapon, The Myth, The Legacy  
  
  
  
The Witchblade  
  
For thousands of years it has existed. An intelligent, symbiotic weapon of incredible power. A living gauntlet that becomes one with its wearer. The Witchblade: Legend has it only women of unmatched strength of mind, body, and will have ever successfully worn it. But there was one exception to the rule.  
  
The Witchblade's legacy has created a warrior bloodline back through time and forward into the future. Joan of Arc wielded the blade as did other great warrior women throughout the ages. But to wear the Witchblade is to be both its master and its servant, as this mysterious weapon draws to it what it needs and casts aside what it does not. Stirring to life at times of crisis -- during wars, famines, pestilence -- the Witchblade has been used to cut a swath of blood and viscera through the ranks of previously insurmountable evil. For decades it has lain dormant, but now in the early days of the 21st century, the Witchblade has chosen a new bearer of its power.... and its curse.  
  
The Myth  
  
Achillia, the greatest gladiatrix of ancient Roman history and descendent of Mars, the god of war, was one of the first known chosen wielders of the Witchblade. Her name was derived from the Greek warrior Achilles, the worrier accredited for slaying Hector, the Trojan prince, during the ten- year war between the Greeks and the Trojans. She was a strong woman, her power coming from Mars. In the ring, she was undefeated. Many challenged her, and many lost their lives to her blade.  
  
Legend has it that she and the gladiator Sebastian, who descended from the fire god Vulcan, fell in love and formed a powerful alliance. Achillia allowed Sebastian to wear the Witchblade in return for his eternal love. From then on, the two were inseparable and their power as gladiators grew. They became the two champions of the ring, never losing a battle.  
  
As time passed, a new rival entered the gladiatorial ring. Her name, Amazon. She had fallen in love with Sebastian and was willing to fight to the death in order to have him as her lover. Amadeus, descendent of Angerona, the protecting deity of Rome, half brother of Achillia, and sworn protector of the Witchblade, strongly advised her to stay away from Amazon, fearing that the Witchblade would abandon it's wielder under such circumstances. Against Amadeus's advice, Achillia accepted Amazon's challenge.  
  
Sebastian, upon hearing of his lover's challenge from Amadeus, begged her not to fight with Amazon. Yet Achillia remained determined to vanquish the only obstacle between her and Sebastian.  
  
On the day of the battle, Amadeus warned Achillia that fighting Amazon might cost more than Amazon's life. The Witchblade was at stake, and so was her life. If the Witchblade abandoned its wielder in her darkest hour, she would surly die. Achillia ignored his advice and went to battle with Amazon. They fought long and hard, exceeding even the crowd's expectations that this was going to be a short fight. Achillia finally gained the advantage and called upon the Witchblade. With Amazon at her knees, begging for her life to be spared, Achillia raised the sword. Just as she was about to throw the final blow, Amazon cried out, "You shall pay for this! Sebastian will be mine!" With that, Achillia slashed through Amazon's throat, killing her instantly.  
  
Sebastian and Amadeus, who had been watching in the crowd, quickly went to Achillia's side. The Witchblade had not abandoned her this time, but it would soon prove its powers. Her next challenge came within a few days of Amazon's death. In the heat of battle, Achillia summoned upon the Witchblade's powers, but it lay cold on the ground beside her. It had abandoned its wielder in her darkest hour, costing her the life she had so desperately tried to obtain. 


	2. Chapter 1: Cold Blooded Murder

Chapter 1: Cold Blooded Murder  
  
A crowd of over 30,000 was all she could see as she panted, the sweat dripping down into her emerald eyes as she scanned the large, open stone arena circling around her. Scanning the many faces, she recognized not one of them. Her heart continued to race as she slowly turned. She raised her hand to her brow and wiped some of the sweat off her face, continuously scanning the crowd looking for someone she knew.  
  
As she continued to turn, her left foot accidentally kicked something on the ground in front of her. She looked down at the body of the woman that lay on the parched, bloody sand. A few inches away from the body was its head, the icy blue eyes still open. She stared at it as it stared back at her. Glancing at her wrist, she saw the bloody weapon that had caused such an injury. It quickly changed from a bloody sword back to a metallic bracelet with a deep red amulet in its center. Her hand covered her mouth as she began to back away in horror. Her stomach was quickly losing its ability to contain whatever was in it.  
  
Continuing to retreat, she hit something behind her. She spun around, finding a man blocking her exit. His deep sapphire eyes gazed down at her with sad understanding. He appeared to know her, but she did not know him. His hand gently made its way to her face, caressing her cheek.  
  
Just as the man was about to speak, Sara Pezzini woke up in a cold sweat. Panting her relief that it was just a weird dream, she glanced at her wrist to make sure the Witchblade was still securely attached to it. The Witchblade, an ancient weapon known to have only been worn by powerful women throughout history, resembled a striking beautiful bracelet until its wielder or the weapon changed its state into a medieval weapon. It had belonged to Kenneth Irons, the cold blooded billionaire whose ruthless and shrewd business dabbles included the illegal weapons trade, until the fateful day when the blade had chosen Sara as its next wielder, leaping from the display case at the Midtown Museum during a police altercation and onto the wrist of the perplexed NYPD homicide detective.  
  
The metallic bracelet with its deep red amulet sat on her wrist, but there was something different about it. The amulet was glowing an angry red. Sara knew something big was going to happen. The amulet always glowed that angry shade of red just before she faced an evil force. Many had tried to take the Witchblade from her, but ended up failing.  
  
Throwing her pillow over her head, Sara mumbled, "Not now. I still have a few hours of sleep left." She ignored it, knowing that whatever was waiting for her could wait until morning. She closed her eyes and fell asleep once more.  
  
*~*~*  
  
She stealthily made her way down the hall, her little feet making almost no sound as they plodded down the carpeted floor of the hallway towards the open door that led to the arena. In her hand was a long, thin object, its sharp, metal point parallel to the floor, away from her lithe body. Her breathing came in short breaths as her heart raced with the ancient instinct to hunt and kill.  
  
The woman maneuvered her body in such a way that only an agile gymnast could mimic as she moved through the gaps between the steel braces that held up the stage. Her target was just in range. About a hundred feet in front of the woman stood her unsuspecting victim; a tall young man with cropped black hair and eyes the color of chocolate.  
  
Ryan Walters was handsome in many aspects, especially those that were physical. His body was built like an ox, ready to move anything. What made him the perfect target was the fact that he had no family, no friends, not even a girlfriend. He was the loaner among the crew, barely talking to anyone unless he was spoken to first. His eyes were always downcast and distant, as if he were in a daze most of the time.  
  
The woman slowed her movements, but her heart continued to race. Her ice blue eyes were on fire, the urge to do what she did best running through her veins like the adrenaline in her system. She raised the sharp dagger- like object above her head as she slinked past another support beam towards the young man. With a gentle tap on his shoulder, she managed to turn him in her direction.  
  
Ryan felt the thin fingertip that grazed his shoulder and slowly turned to see who it was behind him. Just as he was about to get a glimpse of the woman's face, a sharp object came down on his chest. He gasped for breath, his eyes glazing over as they rolled into the backs of their sockets. The last thing Ryan saw before he went unconscious was the woman's long blond hair turning away from him, then his eyes fluttered closed.  
  
The woman quickly took the opportunity to make her signature mark. With one swift motion from her arm, she sliced off his head, leaving it to bleed beneath the stage. Hopefully someone would discover it in the morning before the concert.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Sara had managed to catch a few more hours of sleep before the phone so rudely awaken her. She reached over to the nightstand and grabbed her cell. "Who's dead and where?" she immediately asked, her instincts telling her exactly who was on the phone.  
  
"Ryan Walters," her partner, Danny Woo, simply replied. "At Madison Square Garden. I'll meet you there in an hour."  
  
"Alright," Sara said as she hung up. With a sigh of discomfort, she dragged herself out of bed and walked into the bathroom to start her daily routine. Homicide was her specialty, but it seemed that ever since she came into contact with the Witchblade, nothing about her investigations was simple or straightforward. They had become the weird, unexplained deaths of New York. The cases she and the Witchblade only had the power to solve. Sara took her time getting ready that morning. She knew her strange dream had something to do with this new case, but she wasn't about to let it run amuck in her brain. 


	3. Chapter 2: Shades Of Gray

Chapter 2: Shades Of Gray  
  
Sara arrived at the crime scene an hour later, just as she said she would. A young police officer stood in front of the entrance to the maze of support beans below the stage. She showed him her credentials and was quietly pointed in the direction of the body. It didn't take her long to make it through the narrow openings to the site of the murder.  
  
Sara almost immediately noticed the head that lay a few inches from the body. She gasped, her heart beginning to race, as she remembered her dream. The flashback seemed so vivid, so real, that she didn't notice her partner walk up beside her and tap her shoulder. Sara jumped, her eyes showing a hint of fear as she blankly stared at him.  
  
"Sara?" Danny asked, looking at her strangely with his dark, almond shaped eyes, attributed to his half-Asian heritage.  
  
"Sorry," she replied. "I was just in deep thought. I didn't see you coming. So, what happened here?"  
  
"Stabbed and decapitated. He was a roadie for the artist playing here tonight. I think the guy's name is Darren Hayes," he answered, moving a little closer to the body.  
  
Squatting down closer to the body, Sara felt like a trespasser into this man's last few moments of life. The horrified look on his face would stay that way for all eternity, which would only be amplified as the flashbulb went off over her head. She could smell the corpse decay, a scent that she'd probably never forget for the rest of her life. Then again, this was part of her job, and she had learned to accept it.  
  
The medical examiner was about finished with his observations. "It probably happened somewhere between three and four in the morning. I'll have more information for you after the autopsy," he said.  
  
Sara nodded, half listening to his comments. She was too engrossed in the fact that this guy almost exactly depicted what had happened in her strange dream the night before. Looking down at her wrist, she realized the Witchblade still had that menacing red glow. There was definitely a connection, but what it was she had yet to find out.  
  
"Who found him?" Sara asked as she stood up once more.  
  
"Anastasia Rossini, Hayes' personal assistant," Danny said. "She's up top right now waiting for someone to question her."  
  
"I'll go," she replied, starting back the way she came. It didn't take Sara long to find the girl. She was sitting on a large speaker, drying her eyes with a crumpled tissue. "Anastasia?" Sara asked cautiously.  
  
"Yeah," the girl replied, turning around, her long blond hair swishing behind her.  
  
"I'm Sara Pezzini with the homicide unit. Could I ask you a few questions?" Sara softly replied.  
  
"Go ahead," Anastasia sniffled.  
  
Sara sat down beside her and began her interrogation. "When did you find Ryan?"  
  
"Just about two hours ago. I wanted to ask him if he was finished installing the supports for the stage so we could do a sound check this morning. I knew he'd be down here, so I went to look for him," Anastasia continued to dry her eyes with the tattered tissue.  
  
"Did he have any friends on the crew?"  
  
"Not really. He was the loner. He never talked much; he just stood around until he was told to do something. Everyone thought he was kinda weird."  
  
"Do you know if anyone had any bad feelings towards him?"  
  
"No. Everybody on the crew has gotten along pretty well these last few months."  
  
Sara tried to think of something else to say, but Anastasia's cell phone began to ring. "Excuse me," she said, standing up and pulling the phone out of her pocket to answer it. "Hello? Yeah, Leo. Yeah. He's dead. You have to come here. Bring Darren. He needs to know as much as everyone else. No, I don't know about the show. Like I said before, talk to Darren. If he still wants to do it, let him. Okay, bye." Anastasia turned to Sara and said, "That was Darren's manager, Leonie. She'll be here in a little while."  
  
"Does she know anything about the murder?" Sara asked.  
  
"No, she, Darren, and the rest of the band were stuck in Boston last night because of bad weather. They were supposed to be here half an hour ago, but I guess their flight was delayed again. They should be here within the hour," Anastasia answered. "Can I go now?"  
  
"Yeah, go ahead. If you have anymore information, please give me a call," Sara replied as she pulled out her card. "That's my number. If you can't get a hold of me for any reason, just leave a message on my voicemail."  
  
"I will," Anastasia said as she took the card, looked at it, and put it in her pocket. Her dark brown eyes wandered down Sara's arm to the Witchblade. "That's a really pretty bracelet, detective."  
  
"Thank you," Sara cautiously replied as she tried to hide it with the sleeve of her leather jacket. Anastasia walked off the stage and disappeared into the corridor that led to the dressing rooms. There was something about that girl that made Sara wonder if she was telling the truth. She had started off very distressed, but almost too quickly got over it. She shook her head and stood up to go back down to the crime scene.  
  
*~*~*  
  
He sat there; his faded sapphire eyes cast down at the floor below, his mind in a completely different place. He knew about the roadie's death, and it had been weighing upon his conscious that entire day, but in the music industry, the show must go on. He had already cancelled enough concerts that year throughout Asia and Australia. One more and he could lose his entire fan base in the US.  
  
Darren Hayes sighed loudly, prompting Leonie Messer, his manager and confidant, to turn slightly and look at him. "What's wrong, Daz?" she asked in her thick Australian accent.  
  
"Nothing," he mumbled, his eyes remaining on the floor.  
  
"Is this about the show tonight?" she inquired, the question hitting him right where it hurt.  
  
Darren sighed again as he looked up at her, the sadness apparent in his eyes. She knew he was torn up inside about tonight's concert, and didn't blame him. Just months earlier, he had gone through losing his voice and canceling nearly half of the Australian leg of the tour. Now with the death of the roadie, things had become even more complicated. She reached over and gently placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort.  
  
"Don't worry," Leonie replied.  
  
"Don't worry?" Darren asked in almost a whine. "That is the biggest load of crap I've heard all day! Don't worry. Of course I'm worried! This tour has already been plagued with enough problems. First I have laryngitis, then I have those strange dreams, and now the death of the roadie. Can things get any worse? I'm so worried; I think I'm going to have a nervous breakdown or something. I'm turning into Mariah Carey, for Christ's sake!" He shook his head and looked out the window again. "I knew this was coming. I knew the moment I had that weird dream last week, this was coming. I foresaw the roadie's death in that dream, even though it was supposed to be a woman that got her head chopped off, but dreams can distort things. Right?" He looked at her with confusion, fear, and anger in his eyes.  
  
"Darren, take a long, deep breath," Leonie advised. "Repeat after me. Dreams do no tell the future."  
  
"Leonie," Darren retorted.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Shut up."  
  
Leonie stuck her tongue out like a little girl as Darren crossed his arms over his chest. He finally cracked a smile. There was still something else on her mind, though, something that had to be addressed before they got out to the arena that afternoon. "Daz?" Leonie quietly asked as she looked down at her fingernails.  
  
"What, Leo?" he hesitantly replied, knowing that it wasn't good by her mannerisms.  
  
"About the concert. Are you still going to do it tonight or should we reschedule?" she finally spit out in an almost incoherent jumble of words.  
  
Darren sighed deeply. He knew this question would come sooner or later. He shook his head and answered, "It's the last day of the tour, it's New York City, I have to do it. I know I'll get hell tomorrow, but I don't wanna piss off the fans tonight. I've done that enough times on this tour, canceling all those concerts in Australia. The least I can do is make tonight's concert the best one."  
  
Leonie smiled, but inside, she felt horrible for handing this decision over to him. It pained her to see Darren in such a horrible state. How he managed to get through it, she didn't know. She was just glad that this was the last decision he would have to make for a while.  
  
Leonie and Darren sat quietly across from each other for the rest of the trip to their hotel. He managed to stay in a positive frame of mind, remembering that sound checks were just an hour away. Singing was the only time his mind ever got to rest. It was the only thing that made him feel better during times like these.  
  
With his eyes still staring blankly out the window, New York City passed him by without even a hello. It was the kind of eerie silence that made him began to wonder what all this meant. The dream he had only nights before depicted what seemed to be the Roman Coliseum. He remembered himself running through the crowd towards the arena. Into the pit he stumbled where one woman lay headless while another looked down at her, terrified. He remembered seeing her back away and she actually hit him as she tried to run, but he stopped her. Just before the dream ended, she turned to face him. But he never saw what she looked like; he only remembered her emerald green eyes.  
  
The car rolled to a stop in front of the hotel, snapping Darren out of his thoughts. He looked up, finding that Leonie was already making her way through the door. He gently stretched his legs and exited the other side while the chauffeur held the door open for him.  
  
Darren and Leonie walked into the Plaza Hotel to find the bellhops already waiting to take them to their rooms. It appeared that Anastasia had done her job that morning and was probably already waiting to talk to them at the arena where the concert was supposed to be held.  
  
'The concert,' Darren thought with disgust. He knew he had to do it. The press was calling it his biggest concert yet. It didn't seem that way from what had happened. It seemed as if it were cursed. He knew nothing good was going to come out of it, but no matter what angle he took, someone was bound to get pissed. He took the fans' side, knowing that they were the majority, but decided that he'd make a special dedication that night for the roadie.  
  
"Daz," he heard Leonie say as she took his hand and dragged him into her room.  
  
"Huh?" Darren responded as he looked up at her.  
  
"Come on, the police are waiting for us at the Garden. Anastasia said that she'd explain everything when we got there."  
  
Darren sighed, following Leonie as he dragged him back through the hotel to the limo. This was going to be a long day. 


	4. Chapter 3: Surprise Invitation

Chapter 3: Surprise Invitation  
  
A few hours later, Sara had made her way back to the 11th Precinct after finishing her first sweep of the crime scene. It didn't yield much to the investigation, but autopsy evidence was still pending. 'Time to pay Vicky a visit,' she thought as she started for the basement of the building.  
  
Vicky Po sat at her rustic metal desk with a tape recorder in hand and a file in her lap. Jotting down notes and recording them onto the tape occupied most of her time. Today was a typical day, except for that strange decapitation case that was just brought to her attention. As she stared down at the man's photos, she noticed something that appeared out of place. The severing of the head from the body took place between the first and second vertebra. Either this was a lucky shot, or the person was a skilled knife wielder.  
  
"Vic, you got anything on that decapitation yet?" she heard Sara call from the door as she stepped into the morgue.  
  
"Actually, something just caught my eye. Hold on." She stuck her finger in the air as she wrote down her final note. Sara waited impatiently as Vicky put down her pencil and looked up at her. "This man's head was severed between the first and second vertebra," she finally said.  
  
"Yeah, and what's so important about that?" Sara questioned.  
  
"Well, most decapitations occur between the third and forth vertebra because that's the part of the neck that's mostly exposed. The first and second vertebra are much closer to the head, therefore harder to reach. Either this guy took a lucky shot, or he was an experienced knifeman," Vicky answered.  
  
"So basically we're looking for someone who knows how to use a knife," Sara retorted. "Great, that's pretty much most of the crew."  
  
"Crew?"  
  
"Yeah, this guy belonged to the Darren Hayes' road crew."  
  
"Oh, then you'd better get your ass moving. You've got a lot of work to do."  
  
"Later, Vic," Sara called as she started back through the door and up the stairs to here office where her understudy, Jake McCarty, was waiting for her. "You're late," she quickly observed.  
  
"Yeah," he replied. "Long night."  
  
"Long night? You weren't even working last night," Sara retorted as she took a seat at her desk.  
  
"I don't mean work," Jake snidely answered as he sat down across from her.  
  
"Oh, I should have expected it. A guy who looks as good as you is always busy at night." It was true; Jake had that champion surfer look, blond hair, blue eyes, and plenty of muscle. The rookie had been the best of the best out in California. Sara wasn't at all surprised by his latest conquest.  
  
"Well, a girl as pretty as you should also have a full card."  
  
"Shut up. We have work to do," Sara almost yelled, trying to avoid the subject of dating. As luck would have it, she never seemed to find the right guy. He was always either too cocky or evil for her taste. Besides, it's not like she was looking for romance at that point in her life. She had decided all too quickly that dating wasn't a top priority.  
  
Ruffling through the stack of papers that had accumulated on her desk, she found a pair of tickets and V.I.P. passes to that night's Darren Hayes' show at the Garden. "What the hell?" Sara said aloud as she picked up the items. "How'd I end up with these?"  
  
"I knew I forgot to mention something to you. Those just came via some messenger service. There's also a note around here somewhere," Jake replied as he started to shuffle through her stack of papers. "Ah! Here it is." He picked up the little blue envelope and handed it to her.  
  
Sara tore it open and began to read the note. "Detective Pezzini, security at the concert is my utmost priority. I would really appreciate it if you would come tonight for the added support and continue your investigation. I want this resolved quickly and without too much press coverage. Please accept these passes so you can continue with you work without much interruption from my security staff. Take care and hope to finally meet you tonight, Darren Hayes."  
  
"Nice, personally written and signed. I wonder how much you can get on Ebay for that," Jake teased as he tried to grab the letter from Sara.  
  
"I don't think so," she retorted, pulling it away from him. Sara put the letter back into the envelope and stuffed it into the deepest part of her desk, a place she knew her co-workers would never venture. Deciding to forget the comment Jake had just made, she asked, "So, you coming with me?"  
  
"Nope, got a date tonight," he answered, rising from the chair and heading for the door.  
  
"Jake!" Sara called as he left her office. "Jake!" her yells became louder.  
  
"You're not suckering me into this one!" he yelled back from the end of the hall. "I'm not going to a damn pop concert!"  
  
"Shit!" Sara angrily stammered as she slammed her fist against her desk. She had pretty much lost the only person who could help her with the investigation. Danny wouldn't be around either that night, or the rest of the week for that matter. His vacation was beginning the second he left the precinct. The last thing he'd want to do was spend three hours at some concert working on a case he would probably forget about the next day.  
  
Sara sat in her chair and leaned back, her feet rising to the top of her desk and resting there as she closed her eyes and rubbed them with the back of her hand. She didn't want to go to the concert alone, and she wasn't about to go with another one of the guys from homicide. "Assholes," she mumbled, her eyes still closed.  
  
"Who are the assholes?" Vicky asked as she walked into Sara's office.  
  
Sara shot up, startled by the sudden presence of someone else in her office. Vicky stood at her door, a manila folder in her right hand. "Sorry," she quickly apologized. "I'm just frustrated, that's all."  
  
"It's okay," Vicky replied. "I've got the results back from that guy's autopsy. You don't have much else to go on except for the fact that he died between three and four in the morning."  
  
"Already knew that," Sara said as she grabbed the tickets from her desk. "Hey, are you doing anything tonight?"  
  
"It's a Friday night. What makes you think I don't have something to do?" Vicky questioned. She was already suspicious of what Sara was going to ask her.  
  
"I've got two," Sara looked down at the slips of paper in her hand to see where they were situated, "front row tickets and two V.I.P. passes to the Darren Hayes concert tonight. I was just wondering if you wanted to come with me."  
  
"What's the catch?"  
  
"We'll be doing a little investigating."  
  
Vicky rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, none of the guys want to come with you?"  
  
"Yeah," Sara answered, looking down at the tickets in her hands.  
  
"I'll come," Vicky finally replied as she headed out of Sara's office.  
  
"Thanks, Vic!" Sara called.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Darren tried to nap as he waited for Anastasia to call him back to the arena that afternoon, but it didn't seem to work. He tossed and turned on the feather soft bed in his hotel room, yet his mind continued to spin. It seemed that whenever he closed his eyes, he'd see the picture of the roadie with his head ten inches from his body, the blood still fresh and dripping from the decaying corpse.  
  
Darren cringed, shooting out of bed again and heading to the bathroom, hoping that he wouldn't become sick again. The first time he had seen the body, when he and Leonie were talking to the police at the arena, his stomach had done a complete flip and he nearly passed out. It had been the most gruesome thing he had seen in his life.  
  
Washing his face with cold water, Darren looked in the mirror and noticed the black circles that were appearing beneath his eyes. He was beyond tired and was now in "just gotta get through a few more hours" mode. The concert would wear him out enough so that he passed out and didn't wake up until the next afternoon. He walked out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom just in time to hear his cell ring.  
  
"Do I have to come down now?" Darren asked as he picked it up, seeing Anastasia's number appear on the caller ID.  
  
"Yeah, I hope you got enough sleep," she replied.  
  
"Don't worry about me," he lied as he opened the door to his room and started to walk down the hall towards the elevator.  
  
"Hey, I can't help it. I'm your assistant, remember? I'm supposed to worry about you."  
  
"Well, thank you, but you've already had enough to worry about. I should be the last of your problems right now."  
  
"Alright, Daz. I'll see you in a little bit."  
  
"Hey, I forgot to thank you for sending those tickets to that detective you were telling me about. Sounds like she really can use them," Darren said as he stepped into the elevator.  
  
"No problem. Now I gotta go, I'll see you in a few. Bye!" Anastasia hurried to get off the phone. Leonie was probably putting her through hell that afternoon with all the new security issues.  
  
"Bye," he answered, a little too late it seemed. He heard nothing, then looked at his phone to see that the call was lost due to crappy service in elevators. 


	5. Chapter 4: A Beautiful Stranger

Chapter 4: Beautiful Stranger  
  
"Oh, my God!" Vicky yelled over the crowd of hundreds, maybe even thousands of girls around her and Sara. "This is like being back in high school!"  
  
Sara started to laugh at her friend's comment. This did seem like being in high school all over again, except they weren't here to enjoy themselves. They had work to do, and it wasn't about to be interrupted by the screaming girls around them. She grabbed Vicky's hand and started leading her towards the end of the aisle where security guards were standing and watching the crowd. The concert hadn't even started, and already there were unruly fans everywhere. She quickly flashed their passes and the two were led to the backstage area were Anastasia and another woman were standing and talking.  
  
"Sara!" Anastasia called. She walked over to the two and quickly led them towards the other woman. "This is Leonie Messer. She's Darren's manager."  
  
"Pleased to meet you," Leonie said in her thick Australian accent.  
  
"Pleasure is mine," Sara replied. "This is my friend, Vicky Po." Vicky quickly waved her hello, trying not to become too noticed. She knew Sara was on a mission to solve this case and wasn't about to get in her way.  
  
"I'd have you meet Darren, but he's quite busy," Leonie said. "If you want to continue your investigation right now, you're more than welcome to. You have my authorization. But let me just warn you, the concert starts in less than ten minutes. You'll have thousands of screaming fans, and being beneath the stage while everything is going on is the last place even the roadies want to be."  
  
"Thanks for the warning," Sara kindly replied as she and Vicky started back for the floor. "We'd better get back to our seats before someone tries to take them," she added, pulling her friend along with her.  
  
"That was so cool," Vicky squealed. "I've never been backstage at a concert before, let alone met the musician's manager. I can't wait to meet Darren. He sounds like a great guy."  
  
"How do you know?" Sara skeptically asked as she turned to face her.  
  
"I read up on him today before we left. The guy's a musical genius. Did you know he was the lead singer of Savage Garden?"  
  
"No, but at least now I can put a name to a face. I've heard their music before. Don't they sing that song. 'I Need You,' or something along that line?"  
  
"'I Want You,'" Vicky corrected as she made her way back to their front row center seats.  
  
"Whatever," Sara muttered as the opening bands began. She sat back in her seat, wishing that she were working instead of listening to the music, even though it was quite good. Vicky, on the other hand, seemed to be all up in the boy band swing of things. She was out of her seat through most of the opening, yelling as if she were still in grade school. Sara couldn't help but laugh at her outright nutty antics. She had never seen her act this way before. Usually Vicky quite reserved.  
  
The second opening band, Specificus, seemed to last a little longer than the band that preceded them. Just as she was beginning to think this was never going to end, Sara heard a familiar voice come over the speakers around the arena. "Creepin' up on you is the wrong thing to do." he sang as the screams around the arena became loud enough for Sara to wish she had brought earplugs. She knew that this was Darren Hayes, but as he walked out onto the stage, he was unrecognizable.  
  
Sara remembered Darren from his Savage Garden days, when he had that long black hair and the oddest outfits during concerts. Now, he had cropped golden blond hair and was wearing faded blue jeans, a white shirt, a brown leather jacket, and Raybans. As he continued to sing, he took off the sunglasses and she had her first glimpse at his beautiful faded sapphire eyes. Her heart nearly leapt into her throat as she realized that she was developing a schoolgirl crush on a pop star.  
  
*~*~*  
  
As Darren walked out onto the stage that Friday night, he could already feel his body weaken. It seemed as if his lack of sleep was getting to him at the worst possible time. He tried to concentrate on the tasks at hand, and was doing a pretty good job as he walked out on stage and started singing "Creepin' Up On You." The excitement of the crowd usually managed to pump up his adrenaline, but tonight, it just made him weaker. He continued to sing, hoping that this feeling would end soon.  
  
He took off his sunglasses thinking that more light would do the trick, and as he turned towards the front row, he spotted the most beautiful pair of emerald eyes he had ever seen. They belonged to a young woman who appeared to be around his age with long, dark hair and a pretty smile. She wore a black leather jacket with a baby blue shirt underneath and faded blue jeans.  
  
She stared back at him, a surprised expression on her face, as he did the same to her. Darren continued to sing, his energy skyrocketing as the woman kept her gaze straight at him. She seemed so familiar, yet was as much a stranger to him. It was the eyes that made him think back to his dream. He wanted to believe that this was the woman he was imagining, the woman he always seemed to be running into, but never seeing the face of.  
  
She was the absolute most beautiful creature Darren had ever laid eyes on. Her thin, nimble body swayed as he continued to sing. Her dark, full hair fluttered across her face as a few gusts of cool air hit her cheeks from the air conditioning unit set up below the stage to keep it the electrical wires from overheating. Her energy continued to emanate from her body as he stood in front of her, soaking it up like it was the sun's rays. She seemed to be keeping him alive onstage.  
  
It was as if only a couple of moments had passed as Darren continued to gaze into her mesmerizing green eyes, but the concert was almost half over, and it was about time to start singing the ballads. He disappeared behind the stage as the band continued to play, that overwhelmingly energetic feeling quickly vanishing as he made a quick change into another outfit, a much lighter one. It seemed as if the woman was his only source for life on stage, and leaving her made him weaker. He needed to be back onstage, needed that energy again before he passed out.  
  
And as Darren reappeared, the crowd went wild, but his eyes returned to the beautiful stranger in the front row. He felt the life being brought back into him as her gaze consumed his body. The opening lines to "I Can't Ever Get Enough Of You" began to play as he sat down in front of her, his feet dangling off the stage as he sang, "I know that I have only ever held your hand, but just one touch is more than enough to understand there's a master plan. And although I know I don't believe in destiny, maybe it found me."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Sara felt her heart melt as Darren sat in front of her, the lyrics of his song echoing through her ears, "Now my world is filled with so many things, but nothing compares to the touch of your skin. There's a symphony and melody that plays whenever you're around. I think I've been found."  
  
Sara prayed that he'd leap off the stage and just come to her, sing to her that song, touch her soul like it had never been touch before. The power of the moment consumed her as she leaned on the barrier and stared into his deep sapphire eyes. In that exact moment, she remembered her dream, and the pair of eyes she had gazed into at its end. His eyes were almost exactly like the eyes of the man she had seen, only a bit more faded.  
  
Her heart quickened as she bit down on her lip. If Darren was the man, then he must know something about her past, about the connection she felt as he sat before her. Sara could see he was making that song about her, pouring his heart out knowing she was the only one who could possibly understand, and all she could do was stand there and listen, hoping that she'd see him backstage after the show was over.  
  
"I can see the sun, and I can feel the rain. I can hear the wind call your name. I can feel your love, but there's one thing I can't do, I can't ever get enough of you. No I can't get enough of you," Darren continued to sing as he stared at Sara with his passionate, beautiful eyes. The euphoric feeling of connecting with him through this song was more than she anticipated. She could barely contain the tears that were welling up in her eyes.  
  
"Now I know that in the past I've been much too keen, but your eyes are the kindest that I've ever seen. I guess there's some things you just know. There's a voice inside telling me to hold on, and never let you go." he sang with unbelievable truth. Sara's tears began to flow freely. Somehow there was a connection between them; otherwise this song would mean nothing to her. Her heart was in her throat as she reached out to him, begging him to touch her.  
  
"There's a tune that plays. It's a sacred sound. It's a symphony I hear whenever you're around. Now my world is filled with a whisper of love and a promise of tomorrow."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Darren saw her reach for him, and as he was about to leap off the stage to take her beautiful hand into his, a security guard positioned himself between them, blocking the view. His heart sank, shattered into a thousand pieces as if it were glass that had been run over by a car.  
  
"I can see the sun, and I can feel the rain. I can hear the wind call your name. I can feel your love, but there's one thing I can't do, I can't ever get enough of you. I can't get enough of you," he tried to sing even though it pained him not to be able to touch the one thing he needed the most.  
  
"Cause when we make love I lose track of time. I can't count all the colors I see in your eyes. And while your heart beats in mine it's true. I can't ever get enough of you." The painful thought of losing her invaded his mind as he tried to position himself in a better view of her. They could still see each other from his new viewpoint, but it was impossible to reach out and touch her porcelain skin.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Sara was just as crushed as Darren had been when the security guard interrupted their sacred moment. She moved away from the barrier, wiping the tears from her face hoping that he hadn't seen them. She felt her heart sink into her shoes as her body shuddered. There was no way to get that moment back, so she thought.  
  
"Now my world is filled with so many things, but nothing compares to the touch of your skin. There's a symphony and melody that plays whenever you're around. I think I've been found," Darren kept singing. She could see it in his eyes, those distant blue pools, the pain that remained as he gazed at her longingly.  
  
"I can see the sun, and I can feel the rain. I can hear the wind call your name. I can feel your love, but there's one thing I can't do, I can't ever get enough of you. I can't get enough of you. I can see the sun, and I can feel the rain. I can hear the wind call your name. I can feel your love, but there's one thing I can't do, I can't ever get enough of you. I can't get enough of you."  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Oh, no, no. I'll never get enough of you. No matter where I go. No matter what I do. The one thing that's true baby, I can't ever get enough of you," Darren finished the song as he continued to stare at her, the longing becoming more apparent than he hoped it would. It didn't matter to him if the whole world saw it as long as she did too.  
  
With their eyes remaining transfixed on each other throughout the entire concert, no other song seemed to evoke the power that "I Can't Ever Get Enough Of You" had. It was as if he had written it especially for her, even though they had never met or seen each other before that day. It just seemed as if he had known her in a previous life, maybe, and that this song was their only connection to each other.  
  
Darren had to meet her after the concert. It was imperative that they at least spoke for even a minute to confirm all these strange feelings that were beginning to run freely through his head. He began to wonder if it was love at first sight or something deeper that coursed through his veins about this woman. No matter what it was, he'd find out as soon as the concert was over. 


	6. Chapter 5: A Deeper Connection

Chapter 5: A Deeper Connection  
  
The show ended with a big bang, but Sara didn't stick around long enough to see it. She had grabbed Vicky's hand and led her backstage to wait for Darren. Vicky resisted, saying that she wanted to stick around a little longer to check out the final light show and the end of "Spin," the song Darren had dedicated to the roadie.  
  
Sara went on ahead alone and waited in the spacious VIP area where a few members of the crew had already gathered around the food table. She sat down on the black leather couch situated at the far end of the room, away from everyone and everything. She kept mainly to herself as she reviewed all the feelings and emotions she had gone through that night. It seemed like it would take her all of eternity to figure them out, but she was willing to try. These feelings ran deeper than any she had felt between other people. It was as if she had known Darren somehow in a previous life.  
  
As Sara spaced out on the couch, Leonie and Anastasia entered the room, talking amongst themselves, commenting how the show had gone off without a hitch. Anastasia was the first to spot Sara sitting alone on the couch and decided to go over and talk to her, find out how the case was going. Realizing that she was lost deep in thought, she decided to take a different approach than her usual up front attitude. Anastasia gently laid her hand on Sara's shoulder hoping that it didn't startle her.  
  
Sara felt the hand that fell upon her right shoulder and almost shot up out of her seat. Turning her head, she found Anastasia sitting beside her with a wide smile on her face. "Hi," she said.  
  
"Hi," Sara stuttered, trying to clear her mind of the strange feelings that still clouded it.  
  
"So, how's it going?" Anastasia questioned.  
  
"How's what going?" Sara replied, a little confused by the question.  
  
"The investigation. I know you started today, but we're really concerned that this might be leaked to the press. So, how is it going?" Anastasia rephrased.  
  
"Oh, it's going okay, I guess. Vicky and I are going to check out the crime scene again just to make sure we didn't miss anything the first time, especially since it's not going to be here after tonight. I know you guys need to pack everything up, and I really don't want to get in the way," Sara explained.  
  
"Okay, I'll make sure that no one disturbs you during your investigation tonight," Anastasia assured her as she started to lift herself off the couch. "I'd better get going. Darren's gonna be here any minute, so I gotta shoo out anyone who's not supposed to be here and make room for the fans. You're most welcome to stay if you want."  
  
"Thank you," Sara kindly replied as Anastasia wandered off in the direction of the stage. She sighed as she nestled herself back into the odd realm her feelings dwelled in, but her train of thought would be broken once more, not by someone, but something. A force, strangely enough, that grabbed her and made her look up almost immediately.  
  
There, at the other end of the room near the door, stood the man Sara had been waiting for, the enigma that had been haunting her ever since the beginning of the show. She stood up and made her way towards him, eager to introduce herself. He was a bit busy, the fans already crowding around him for autographs and photos. She stood at the edge of their circle, waiting to be noticed. When he finally stuck his head up and met her eye line, she smiled and mouthed, "Hi."  
  
Darren smiled back and did the same. He finished one more autograph for a fan and began to make his way through the crowd of anxious people, none more than him. She stood there, waiting for him, the shy smile still on her face, her eyes transfixed on his. He felt his heart leap into his throat as he tried to find the words, but as they got closer, he seemed to be unable to speak.  
  
Sara was the first to extend her hand and say, "Hi, I'm Detective Sara Pezzini."  
  
"Darren Hayes." He grasped her hand, the touch of her silken skin sending shock waves through his body. Something deep within his soul suddenly exploded and a bombardment of images streamed into his mind. He saw glimpses of strange things: swords clashing together, a woman burning at the stake, a gravestone, and a very powerful weapon that changed its form from a sword to a bracelet. There were more things he saw as their hands remained linked. Darren caught a glimpse of himself kissing Sara in the middle of a park, making love to her, and seeing her in a red dress looking even more beautiful than she did now. The bombardment ended with the image of a baby lying on white silk sheets.  
  
Sara also found herself stealing a look into Darren's past, in an armored suit, in peasant clothing, felt his pain when he split from his wife and Savage Garden, seeing the two of them kissing and making love, seeing herself in a dress, but the images ended as soon as she pulled her hand out of his grasp.  
  
The two gazed at each other with a newfound understanding. They were linked, but neither knew how or why. Those images barely made any sense, as did their feelings towards each other.  
  
Darren looked away, unable to keep his stance with the enigma that stood in front of him. He knew all these strange new things invading his mind should have scared him, but oddly enough, they didn't. Somehow, they all seemed very familiar, and almost comforting.  
  
Sara found the lack of eye contact unbearable. Her hand touched his overly warmed check and gently pulled him back into her eye line. They continued to stare at each other with an astonishing level of clarity, her soft fingers interacting with his rosy skin, until Vicky walked over to them and tapped Sara's shoulder. She and Darren quickly pulled away from each other.  
  
"Hey, oh! Oh, my God! It's him!" Vicky nearly screamed when she noticed that Darren was standing in front of her. "It's an honor to meet you!" she said, extending her hand. Darren smiled as he shook it.  
  
"It's an honor to meet you," he kindly replied. Vicky couldn't help but turn red at his comment.  
  
"Hey, Vic. Go grab something to eat. You look a little flushed," Sara said. "I still need to ask Darren a few questions."  
  
"Okay." Vicky slinked away, the large grin still on her face.  
  
Sara turned back to Darren, their trance finally broken, but her mind still running a million miles a second. Everything seemed to jumble up, inhibiting her ability to ask questions. A short, awkward silence passed between them before she finally spoke up, "That was an amazing concert."  
  
"Thanks," Darren answered. "I'm glad you liked it."  
  
"Yeah, I haven't been to a concert in a very long time."  
  
Another awkward silence passed between them, except this time, Darren was the one that broke it by saying, "So, you're the detective working on Ryan's murder."  
  
"Yeah, and that reminds me, I should start asking questions."  
  
"Go ahead, I'm ready to answer to the best of my ability."  
  
"Um. Did you know him at all?"  
  
"No. I don't really handle anything in the crew department let alone meet the people working for me. That's mainly Anastasia's or Leonie's job."  
  
"Oh, okay. Then I really don't have anymore questions for you." Sara reached into her pocket and pulled out her card. "If you find out anything, just give me a call."  
  
Darren took the card from her and looked at it, then stuck it in his pocket for safekeeping. "I will," he promised.  
  
"I have to get going. We still have a bit more investigating to do," Sara said. "It was really nice meeting you."  
  
Darren grabbed her hand again, this time noticing the odd bracelet around her wrist. He bent down and gently kissed it. "Bye," he whispered as he let go.  
  
Sara could feel her heart flutter as his soft, luscious lips touched her skin. It sent shivers down her spine, making her wish that it were her lips that he was kissing, not just her hand. They reluctantly pulled away from each other, Sara going off in Vicky's direction and Darren heading back to his horde of fans.  
  
"Well, well, well. I never thought I'd see the day Sara Pezzini developed a crush on a pop star," Vicky observed as Sara approached her.  
  
"Bull shit," Sara defended as she led Vicky beneath the stage to the crime scene.  
  
"Oh, yeah, right. You could barely talk to the guy. You were stuttering!"  
  
"No, I wasn't!"  
  
"Yes, you were!"  
  
"No, I wasn't!"  
  
"Yes, you were!"  
  
"Okay! Enough! We need to stop acting like children and start acting like investigators," Sara yelled as they made their way through the catacomb of crisscrossed supports to where the yellow crime scene tape was posted.  
  
"Fine," Vicky retorted. "But I still think you've got a crush on him."  
  
"Shut up, Vic!" 


	7. Chapter 6: True Vibe

Chapter 6: True Vibe  
  
She found herself walking amongst some of the most beautiful gardens she had ever seen. The full moon shown through the holes in the grape vines above her head casting shadows on the white silk dress that she wore as she walked down the stone path to a fountain of Athena in the middle of the garden. She sat on the edge of the fountain and dipped her hand into its cool waters. Removing it, she watched the crystal clear droplets fall.  
  
Another figure appeared opposite her side of the fountain. As her eyes focused in the dim light, she saw the man that sat at the edge, his head turned away. Her heart leapt into her throat as if she knew who he was before she even saw his face. She stood and walked over to him. Gently placing her hand on his shoulder, he turned in her direction, his sapphire eyes staring deeply into her emerald green ones.  
  
Before she even had a chance to look at his face, he was already leaning in for a kiss. Her eyes closed immediately as his lips pressed up against hers. The kiss deepened as their arms wrapped around each other, their bodies pressed up against one another as tightly as possible, with no intent of letting go.  
  
Just as suddenly as it happened, it was over. Sara rolled over on her side and knocked her alarm clock off the nightstand, silently cursing at it for interrupting what was probably the best dream she had had in a while. She wanted to go back to sleep, but she'd probably end up getting yelled at for being late to work if she did. She got out of bed and walked to the bathroom to start her daily routine.  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Please tell me what you like. Does that feel nice? Give me a sign. If you love it I can do it again. We've got the rest of the night to get it right." Sara sang as she strolled into the precinct the next morning, the concert and her dream still fresh in her mind. She had a wide grin on her lips as she nearly danced into her office. Jake stared at her, the look on his face dumbfounded and priceless. Sara wished she had a camera to capture it.  
  
"You're in a good mood," he observed, still looking a little confused. "What happened last night? Did you catch the killer or something?"  
  
"No, it was just one great concert," Sara answered, sitting down in her chair and putting her feet up on her desk.  
  
"Yeah, it was," Vicky poked her head in and added. "She fell for Darren. Hard."  
  
"Shut up, Vic!" Sara nearly shouted.  
  
"Pez! You fell for a pop star?" Jake laughed. "This I gotta hear. Vicky."  
  
"Okay, we were at the concert last night, supposed to be doing work, but decided to wait until it was over because Leonie, Darren's manager, said it would get pretty loud beneath the stage during the show. So, we're sitting in our front row seats, and all of a sudden, Darren's staring at her, and she's staring back at him. Through the whole show, they're eyes are connected. I don't think there was a moment either one of them looked away. You could totally see that they were both digging each other," Vicky explained. "And after the show, while we were backstage, Sara started to stutter as she was talking to him! She actually shooed me away just so they could speak alone."  
  
By now, Jake was in a full-blown fit of laughter. Sara glared at him and Vicky as she put her feet back on the floor and stood up. "Out!" she said, pointing out the door, but neither one of them would leave. "OUT!" she shouted, startling them both.  
  
"Okay, I get it," Vicky replied, turning had heading back to her office.  
  
"You're never gonna live this down, Pez," Jake chuckled as he rose from his seat and left her office.  
  
Just as Sara was about to shout out one of her infamous retorts, her cell phone rang. Puling it out of her pocket, she looked at the number on the caller ID and realized she didn't know whom it belonged to. Cautiously, she answered, "Detective Pezzini."  
  
"Sara?" Darren's soft voice shyly replied.  
  
"Who is this?" she asked suspiciously.  
  
"Darren Hayes," he answered.  
  
"Darren, hi," she said, the smile reappearing on her face.  
  
"Hi, I just wanted to call and ask you how things with the investigation were going," he replied with a slight bit of hesitation.  
  
"Well, it hasn't gone anywhere since yesterday. We don't have much to go on," Sara explained. "The killer did a pretty good job cleaning up any traces of his presence. It's going to be one tough case to crack."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. I just wish we had a little more evidence."  
  
A long, uneasy silence remained between them. Nearly thirty seconds passed before either one of them said a word. The first to speak was Sara. She knew there was another reason Darren had called, but apparently he wasn't ready to give it up yet. "Why did you really call?" she finally asked.  
  
Darren sighed deeply as he collected his thoughts. He knew what he wanted to say, but the words didn't come easily. "I called because I wanted to ask you something," he said at last.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I know this is gonna sound weird, but did you feel anything last night during the concert? Because I was seriously getting this vibe from you, the kind of vibe that hits you so hard and so deep, it won't let you go, even when you're lying in bed trying to fall asleep. I wanted to make sure that I wasn't dreaming and that it was real, because I did feel something, something special, about you." He spoke with every intent on making her understand what he was trying to say in this vague explanation.  
  
All Sara could do from her end was smile. She could feel it in every fiber of her body, the strong feeling that drove her close to him, brought her to tears when he sang, and filled her heart with more joy than she had ever experienced in her entire life. She knew it was love, could feel it pulsing through her veins, hear it in the wind, and smell it in the air. It was pure and simple, not the complicated mess that she thought she had with others before him.  
  
The tears began to drip from Sara's eyes as she finally whispered, "I felt it too."  
  
Darren's heart exploded with a happiness he only felt when he was onstage singing. He wanted to shout from the rooftops, sing at the top of his lungs, he had finally found his soul mate. But he didn't dare say another word, fearing he would scare Sara away. Instead, he said, "Can I take you out to dinner tonight?"  
  
"Yeah, I'd like that," she replied, wiping the tears away from her face as she tried to contain the inner feelings that wanted to spew out of her body at that moment.  
  
"Okay, I'll see you at seven. Where should I pick you up?"  
  
"Here, at the precinct, is just fine. I'll be tied up until then."  
  
"Okay, great," Darren said. He paused for a moment before he continued. "And when you walk into the room I feel the world dissolve, I fall at your feet." he sang softly. Sara couldn't help the smile on her face from growing. "And when you look at me I swear the beating of my heart's about to cease. Oooh, you make me wanna deny the world, deny the man I wanna be, deny the oxygen that moves inside of me, deny my friends, deny the sensibility. I have surrendered now. I only wonder how. Sparks fly when our worlds collide, and I am falling at your feet. Stars shine so much brighter. You make me wanna sit right by, and watch the world falling at your feet."  
  
"Bye, Darren," Sara said with much difficulty.  
  
"Bye," he finally replied.  
  
Sara hung up the phone before her feelings got to the best of her. 'Oh, God. He's so perfect,' she thought. She turned around to find Jake back in her office, standing at the door, his eyes scanning her figure with a puzzled look on his face.  
  
"Are you crying?" he asked sensitively. "Did somebody die?"  
  
"No," Sara grinned.  
  
Jake's eyes widened as he figured out what had just happened. "Did he call?" Sara nodded, holding the phone close to her chest. "What did he say?"  
  
"He asked me out tonight," she replied.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"What do you think I said?"  
  
"Oh, my God! You're going out with a pop star!"  
  
Sara couldn't help but laugh at the innocence of his surprised expression. Jake was genuinely astonished by the fact that she was going on a date with someone famous. "I should buy you a drink or something," he added.  
  
Before Sara could reply, her phone rang again. "Hello," she quickly answered, hoping that it was Darren again.  
  
"Sara!" came Anastasia's frantic cry.  
  
"Anastasia, what?" Sara said with her own sense of urgency.  
  
"There was another one!" she screamed. 


	8. Chapter 7: A Kiss Divine

Chapter 7: A Kiss Divine  
  
It took a little less than ten minutes for Jake and Sara to reach the Plaza Hotel where the second murder had taken place. Anastasia was already standing guard at the door, her face pale white as she stood with her arms cross over her chest, her body rocking back and forth.  
  
"You," Sara said, pointing to Jake, "take her away from here and start questioning her. I'll check out the crime scene."  
  
Jake nodded, not questioning Sara, and gently nudged Anastasia away from her post at the door. Sara, on the other hand, went into the forth floor hotel room and began her initial investigation of the crime scene. Scanning the room, she found the dead man lying near the window, his head severed from his body. She knew she was now dealing with a serial killer; there was no doubt about it.  
  
Jake slipped into the room as Sara continued to stare at the dead body. He tapped her shoulder and she nearly jumped. "Shit, McCarty," she yelled, turning towards him.  
  
"Sorry, Pez," he replied, taking a step back. "I didn't mean to scare you."  
  
"So, what did you find out from Anastasia?"  
  
"Well, a maid found the body when she was getting ready to clean the room. She called Anastasia. Anastasia then called you," Jake explained.  
  
"What was the guy's name?"  
  
"Leonard Smith. Everybody called him Lee. Anastasia also says that you shouldn't confuse him with Darren's bassist, Lee Novak. Um. He didn't have very many friends. Like Ryan, he was also a loner. Seems like we have a killer who knows the people he's killing. Maybe someone on the crew or the security staff," he summed up, starting to walk around the crime scene.  
  
"But with this murder, he might have left a little more evidence than before," Sara said as she stared at the body.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, the hotel has surveillance cameras on every floor by the elevator and stairs. We could take a look through the tapes from today and yesterday, and weed out the suspects."  
  
"Good idea, Pez. I'll go down and get them now."  
  
Sara nodded, her eyes never moving from the body as she examined it. As she moved a little closer to it, she caught something shimmering through the corner of her eye. Moving her head in the direction of the light, she found something in the corner of room. Taking out her gloves and a pair of tweezers, she bent down and extracted the little piece of metal from the carpet. It was almost golden in color, but a bit too dark. 'Bronze maybe,' she thought.  
  
"McCarty, get me an evidence bag!" Sara called as she got to her feet again. "I think he left more evidence than we expected."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Nearly four hours later, Sara was back at the precinct, videos and the tiny piece of metal in hand. Her first stop was Vicky's office to get the metal examined, then back upstairs to start watching the surveillance videos from the hotel. It was going to be a long night for both her and Jake.  
  
"Vic!" Sara called as she entered the morgue.  
  
"What, Pez? I thought you were still pissed at me about earlier to day," Vicky replied from her desk as she stared down at the manila folder in front of her.  
  
"Now why would I still be pissed about that?" Sara retorted as she threw the piece of metal onto her desk. "I need you to analyze that and get me the results ASAP."  
  
"Is this from the other decapitated guy that they brought in earlier?"  
  
"Yep. I'll see you later," Sara said, quickly exiting before she had to answer any more questions. She was still a little angered by the fact that Vicky had spilled almost everything about last night to Jake. At least no one else had found out, otherwise she would have taken hell from everyone that entire day.  
  
"McCarty, hope you got a VCR in there. We need to get this finished by tomorrow," Sara yelled as she walked to her office. She pushed the half open door and stepped inside to find someone sitting on her chair, back turned towards the window. "How many times have I told you to stay out of my chair?" she asked, thinking it was Jake.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't know," came the Aussie accent from behind it.  
  
A puzzled look came over Sara's face as the chair turned to reveal Darren sitting in it, his arms holding a bouquet of nearly two dozen red roses. Her jaw nearly dropped as he stood up and handed them to her. "I know I'm a little early, but I couldn't wait until seven to see you," he said.  
  
"Darren, you. you. you really didn't have to," Sara stuttered, taking the roses and taking a whiff of their intoxicating aroma. A smile crept onto her face as she gazed into his deep sapphire eyes.  
  
"Has anyone ever told you how beautiful you look when you smile?" Darren asked as his hand slowly made its way to her cheek, caressing it gently with his thumb. Sara blushed. Darren grinned. "You've been on my mind all day, and it didn't appear that you would leave until I actually saw you."  
  
"Stop making me blush," Sara retorted, unable to wipe the smile off her face even if she tried. She put the flowers down on her desk.  
  
"I'm not even trying," he replied. She laughed lightly. "But there's another reason why I'm here."  
  
"And that is?" Sara asked, noticing the gleam in his eyes.  
  
"This," Darren answered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her in for a kiss deeper than any she had ever experienced.  
  
At first Sara was surprised, almost wanting to pull away and slap him, but soon she closed her eyes, her body telling her that this was right and that she shouldn't be afraid. She laced her fingers in his hair, keeping Darren in her grasp as their tongues entwined. His hands gently made their way beneath her shirt. She could feel the delicate touch of his fingers on her skin, the desire to experience more burning deep within her soul.  
  
Sara didn't dare pull away fearing that if she did, she'd lose Darren. This kiss was the kind she had waited for all her life. It was perfect in every way, sensual, and downright exciting. Her heart was pounding as her lungs burned for air. Finally, she pulled away, breathless and dizzy. Stepping back with an uneasy foot, she nearly tripped, but his hold prevented her from going anywhere. As she dangled limply in his arms, she gazed up into those sapphire eyes, their mesmerizing sheen urging her to kiss him again. Pulling herself back to his lips, he kept her away by whispering into her ear, "Maybe we should save this for later."  
  
Sara turned around to find Jake and almost every cop in the homicide division staring at them, their jaws dropped, their eyes almost popping out of their heads. She pulled herself out of Darren's grasp and walked over to the door. "There's nothing to see here. Go back to work!" she yelled at them. They started to scatter, all except for Jake. He stayed at the door, still dumbfounded by the sudden turn of events. "I wasn't just talking to them. You too," Sara said as she pushed him out the door and closed it behind him. Walking back to Darren, she added, "There's never any privacy around here."  
  
"It's the same way on the tour bus," Darren replied. "So, shall we continue?"  
  
Sara desperately wanted to explore another kiss, but her mind told her not to. "Not until you tell me why you did that," she answered, still standing beside the closed door.  
  
"Because it's been on my mind since I woke up this morning. I've been having these dreams, and somehow, they're all coming true. Like last night, I dreamed that I was kissing this beautiful woman in a garden by a fountain. And here I am today, kissing you in your office in front of all your coworkers. Does that make any sense to you?" he desperately tried to explain.  
  
"Actually, it does," Sara replied, looking down as she remembered her own dream. "The same thing is happening to me. Same dream too."  
  
Darren looked up at her sharply. He was beginning to put things together in his mind. The connections were so clear to him now. He knew what was happening, and the thought almost scared him out of his mind, but something deep inside told him not to be afraid. Everything was going just the way it was supposed to.  
  
Sara was also coming to her own conclusions. She knew that Darren was someone from her past, and was actually willing to bet that they had probably been lovers in a previous lifetime, but wasn't ready to say anything just yet. She had to make sure that he was "the one," and there was only one person in the world that could possibly confirm her theory.  
  
"Then I'm not the only one?" Darren asked. "Then there is something deeper between us than just physical attraction?"  
  
"Maybe," Sara quietly responded, her mind still trying to process everything. She looked up at him, her eyes catching his. They stared at each other for a couple of moments before breaking their gaze. She turned towards the door and began to open it.  
  
"Where are you going?" Darren asked in what seemed more like a whine.  
  
"Don't worry, I'll be back. How about I meet you later on tonight at your hotel?" she suggested.  
  
"Alright," Darren replied as she rushed out of the office, her thoughts turning to the person she was about to visit. 


	9. Chapter 8: A Destiny Revealed

Chapter 8: A Destiny Revealed  
  
Gabriel Bowman sat at his laptop, his eyes staring at the screen with his intentions clear. He was going to win this auction for Daniel Jones' guitar, the one he played on the last tour date of Savage Garden's "Affirmation" world tour. He only had a couple of minutes left, and already the auction was up to nearly $10,000, with him having the higher bid.  
  
The only other bidder was a rich psycho fan of Savage Garden with the screen name "Savage_Freak_2002." He couldn't help but laugh at the "creativeness" of the name. After all, it fit the bidder perfectly. Nobody in his or her right mind would spend that much on a guitar even if it were played during the last concert before the band broke up.  
  
Gabriel had to evaluate his own motives for wanting this guitar. After all, he did have the highest bid, which made him just as crazy as Savage_Freak_2002. For him, it was the thrill of acquiring something new for his lucrative company, Talismaniac.com, which specialized in the acquisition and sale of rare artifacts.  
  
'Hey, if it sells for this much on Ebay, then it's probably gonna make me ten times the amount if I sold it privately,' he thought. The bid went up another grand, leaving only about a minute left before the auction was over. To his left, Gabriel could hear the door open and someone walk in. "I'll be right there!" he yelled, his eyes glued to the screen as the seconds counted down.  
  
"Gabriel, I never pegged you to be a Savage Garden fan," Sara said as she walked up behind him, almost startling him out of his chair.  
  
"Hold on, Chief. I've got a few seconds left," Gabriel replied as he typed in his final bid, $15,000.  
  
"Fifteen grand for some guitar!" Sara exclaimed. "Gabe, you must be crazy."  
  
"I'm not crazy. This is a great investment. Look how much people are willing to spend. Tack on one more zero, and you've just made yourself a pretty penny." He pressed the send button just in time. The auction ended with his $15,000 bid. "I am now the proud owner of the guitar Daniel Jones played at the very last concert of the 'Affirmation' world tour."  
  
"How ya gonna pay for that? Visa or MasterCard?" she asked.  
  
"Visa, it's everywhere you want to be," he recited the well-known slogan. "So, what brings you here tonight? Lonely? Bored? Need information? Need a date?"  
  
"Actually, I need some information," Sara said just as her cell phone began to ring. "Hold on." She turned and looked down at her called ID. "What Vic?" she asked.  
  
"Got the results back from that metal. It's bronze, from nearly two thousand years ago. It came from a region just outside of Rome. Pez, we got one weird psycho on our hands. I hope you find him before he strikes again," Vicky said as she hung up.  
  
"Let me guess, another one of those strange cases?" Gabriel said before Sara could tell him.  
  
"Yep. There have been two decapitations in the last three nights. And just now I found out that the metal I found at one of the crime scenes is nearly two thousand years old."  
  
"What kind of metal?"  
  
"Bronze."  
  
"And where were the heads severed?"  
  
"Between the first and second vertebra."  
  
"Then you're probably dealing with someone skilled in Roman gladiatorial warfare."  
  
"How do you know that?" Sara was nearly dumbfounded that her friend knew so many from so few clues.  
  
"Well, I've been digging around the Internet looking for more information about the Witchblade and found an interesting little article about a woman named Achillia. She was a female gladiator, a gladiatrix. She, too, had worn the Witchblade. But that's where all the similarities with the other wielders end. She had mastered the Witchblade and was able to wield it like no other woman had done before her and would do after.  
  
"With the amount of power she had, Achillia was the woman every man was after, including the future emperor of Rome, Domitian. He even had arrangements with her father, a senator, to marry her. Now, this really pissed Achillia off. Her heart already belonged to a young gladiator named Sebastian.  
  
"Sebastian had won his freedom in the gladiatorial games and was now making a living fighting. He was rich, he was famous, he was well liked by almost everyone, but he wasn't of noble blood, which made it impossible for him to marry Achillia. Their love flourished, though. Through secrets meeting and arrangements, they kept seeing each other.  
  
"To symbolize her love for Sebastian, Achillia did what no woman had ever done, she allowed him to wear the Witchblade. And contrary to popular belief, the Witchblade actually accepted Sebastian as its only male wielder.  
  
"Here's where things get a little twisted. Achillia's half brother and the sworn protector of the Witchblade, Amadeus, found out that there was another woman who was seeking Sebastian. Her name was Amazon, and she was another female gladiator. She was ready and willing to fight Achillia over him. She challenged Achillia to a battle in the gladiatorial ring not knowing that she had the Witchblade. Achillia accepted Amazon's challenge.  
  
"During the battle, Achillia got the upper hand and managed to kill Amazon by severing her head from her neck between the first and second vertebra, but not before Amazon vowed to return and avenge her death.  
  
"As fate would have it, Achillia was challenged again, but under different circumstances. This time, Domitian had hired someone to kill Achillia because he had found out about her love for Sebastian. In the heat of battle, the Witchblade had slipped off Achillia's wrist. Sebastian had seen it fall to the ground and desperately tried to reach Achillia to warn her, but his warning came too late. Her opponent had gained the upper hand and sliced through her neck with her sword as Sebastian watched in horror. Sebastian swore that he would never love anyone other than Achillia then killed himself," Gabriel explained.  
  
"Oh, my God. It's Romeo and Juliet," Sara whispered, putting two and two together. "What kinds of swords did they use during these games?"  
  
"Bronze," he simply replied.  
  
Sara pulled out her cell phone and dialed Jake's number immediately. "McCarty, get a background check on all the women that are working for Darren Hayes. I want to know everything down to their shoe size. Got it?" she ordered.  
  
"Yeah, Pez. Just one question, why?" he replied.  
  
"Because I've got a hunch. Now do it!" Sara said before she hung up. "Thanks, Gabe," she added as she hurried out of his place.  
  
"Why are you in such a hurry?" he yelled before she was out the door.  
  
"I'm going out with someone tonight," she called.  
  
"Pez, you got a date?" Gabriel replied.  
  
"Yeah, why does everyone find that so strange? Can't a girl just go out with someone and not be harassed? Besides, if my other hunch is correct, then I think I've found Mr. Right."  
  
The door slammed before Gabriel had time to ask another question. 


	10. Chapter 9: Rapture

Chapter 9: Rapture  
  
Darren stood at his hotel room door, his eyes never seeming to leave his watch as he waited for Sara to arrive. His mind was still spinning from the kiss they shared barely a few hours earlier. It had knocked him into every direction imaginable, but somehow, he managed to compose himself once more.  
  
Wearing a thin, white cotton shirt and a pair of faded blue jeans, Darren was dressed well for the warm autumn night. But he couldn't help the overheated feeling he was having as he waited for Sara. It was already nearing 7:30, and dinner was scheduled for eight. He was beginning to worry that she might have been held up at the office and forgot to call.  
  
He began to dial in her number, but was soon interrupted by an incoming phone call. "Hello?" he eagerly asked, hoping it was Sara.  
  
"Hey, Daz," Leonie replied in her most casual way.  
  
"Leo, what's up?" he questioned with impatience.  
  
"Well, I got some news for you," she answered.  
  
"Good or bad?"  
  
"Good."  
  
"Well, what is it?"  
  
"You know how the Vogue Fashion Awards are next week?" Leonie asked, her voice sounding almost eager. There was something she wanted to tell him, but he knew she'd postpone it until it was driving him nuts.  
  
"Leo, I don't have time to play your game," Darren gently warned her.  
  
"You're no fun tonight," she replied. "What's stuck up your butt?"  
  
"I'm waiting for Sara, who should have been here half an hour ago," he answered.  
  
"Why are you waiting for her?"  
  
"Why don't you mind your own business?"  
  
"You're going out with her, aren't you?" Leonie finally put two and two together. "And you didn't even bother to tell me?"  
  
"Shut up and leave me alone. Just tell me about the Fashion Awards so I can call her and ask her why she isn't here," Darren ordered, his temper flaring like never before.  
  
"Alright, already. You're presenting. You've got an extra ticket. Happy now?" she retorted. "The tickets are in your pocket."  
  
"I'm presenting? Presenting what?"  
  
"Best female designer or something like that. I don't know. It's not like I read the damn email."  
  
"That's wonderful!" Darren exclaimed as his anger suddenly turned to utter joy. He could hear Leonie hang up on the other end. He knew she was pissed at him about his little outburst. As suddenly as it had happened, it was over when a knock came at the door.  
  
Darren rushed to answer it, his senses picking up that Sara was near. Somehow, his perception had increased to levels that were off the charts, especially when it concerned her. It was as if that kiss had served as a gateway into their souls, making whatever connection they had even deeper. Slowly and cautiously, Darren opened the door to his room, not wanting Sara to think he had actually been waiting for her.  
  
"Hi," she said, a smile creeping onto her candy apple red lips. Darren scanned her body, noticing she looked very different now that she was wearing black leather pants, a red top with bowing sleeves, and a pair of black stiletto heels nearly three inches high.  
  
'Stunning. Marvelous. Beautiful. Perfect,' his mind rambled as his lips stayed sealed. "You look very nice," Darren finally said after much debate.  
  
"So do you," Sara replied, her cheeks turning a darker shade of rogue.  
  
"Shall we go?" he asked, taking her arm. She merely nodded. They walked down to the elevator, unable to utter a word. They were just happy to be in each other's presence once again.  
  
It took the whole ride down to the first floor before Sara finally gathered up enough courage to say, "Where are we going, exactly?"  
  
"First we're going to dinner, then dancing, and finally, I'm going to give you a little surprise," Darren replied as he led her to the five star restaurant the hotel boasted.  
  
"Surprise?" she asked. "What kind of surprise?"  
  
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now, would it?" he answered. "Trust me, you'll love it."  
  
*~*~*  
  
"So, Sara Pezzini, tell me your secrets," Darren said as he leaned over the table, his elbows steadying him as he stared into the deep green pools of her eyes, his mind a little tipsy from the wine he had drunk. They had finished dinner nearly an hour ago, including a wonderful dessert of chocolate cake, which they shared.  
  
Sara looked at Darren with a little bit of surprise on her face. "Well," she started, taking a sip of her red wine and putting her glass down. "I grew up without a father."  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Do you mind if I ask why?" Darren inquired.  
  
"He was murdered." Sara simply answered. A distressed look came over Darren's face. Her eyes gazed down at her wrist, the Witchblade sitting atop it without a glint of animation. As much as it pained her to talk about something that happened over two decades earlier, she knew she couldn't lie to him. "As for my mother, I never knew her. I've only seen pictures of her. So much for having a normal childhood. And just a few months ago, my best friend was also murdered."  
  
"I shouldn't have brought this up. I'm so sorry for making you relive all these horrible memories," Darren sincerely apologized as his hand gently took hers and kissed it. She gave him a slight smile.  
  
"It's okay," Sara replied. "You would have found out sooner or later."  
  
"Switching the subject to something a little lighter, what made you decide to become a cop?" Darren asked, trying to keep away from the whole family thing.  
  
"My father was a cop. I guess it runs in my blood," she said, a genuine smile finally appearing on her lips. "What about you? Why did you become a singer?"  
  
"Actually, I was going to become a teacher, the singing thing just seemed to take off quicker," Darren answered. "I dropped out of college as soon as I landed the Savage Garden gig knowing that it was meant to be. That feeling was reinforced when 'I Want You' was released and became a world wide hit."  
  
"I know this is a probing question, but why did the band break up?"  
  
"Fair question. After all, you had to reveal something quite painful. I guess it's my turn now, isn't it?" Darren replied as he looked down at his empty wine glass. "Daniel hated being in the lime light. By the time the 'Affirmation' tour was over, he had had enough and just said that it was time to go our separate ways. We had a good ten years, and I'll never forget that. He was my best friend, and of course I miss him very much, but I had to respect his decision."  
  
"Is he at least happy now?" Sara couldn't help but ask.  
  
"Yeah, as happy as I am," he said with a smile. "And as you can probably already tell, I'm very happy, except for all the shit that's happened on this tour. It's like it was cursed from the beginning. First I get laryngitis, which made me cancel a few of the Australian dates, and now the whole roadie thing. Its like just after I hired Anastasia, everything seemed to go wrong."  
  
Something inside Sara's mind clicked. She jerked her head up at the mention of that name. It was as if she had just found the proof she had been looking for ever since the roadie cases dropped into her lap. Darren stared at her strangely as she whipped out her cell phone and dialed Jake's number. Excusing herself from the table, she walked down to the nearly deserted hotel lobby and eagerly waited for him to pick up.  
  
"What, Pez?" Jake angrily asked when he picked up his phone.  
  
"What's your problem?" Sara replied.  
  
"Well, for starters, I've been sitting here, in my office, watching those stupid videos without finding anything of interest while you decided to ditch me for some guy," he retorted.  
  
"For your information, this guy just happens to be one that I like, so just shove it up your ass for once," she spat. "Swallow your pride and shut up because I think I just might have found some information that might help us with the investigation."  
  
Jake had never seen Sara this angry and actually obeyed. He knew she taken time out of her date with Darren just to call him. "I'm sorry," he muttered. "Go on."  
  
"It's Anastasia," Sara said. "Darren just told me that ever since he hired her, things have been going wrong on the tour."  
  
"Are you sure that it's not just a case of bad luck?" Jake questioned.  
  
"Yeah, things are really pointing strongly against her. I mean, she did discover the first murder, and when I talked to her, she seemed to stop caring after only a couple of minutes. Then the second murder happened, and she was the first one to hear about it from the maid. Wouldn't you expect a maid to call security before she called the personal assistant?" Sara was making quite a few good points.  
  
"What do you want me to do?"  
  
"I want you to dig up every little thing you can about her. I want everything from where she was born to where her parents and grandparents were born. This is very important, McCarty, got it?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm on it, Pez. See ya later," Jake replied as he hung up.  
  
Sara returned to a very puzzled Darren. She sat down silently in front of him as he stared at her with confusion clouding his sapphire eyes. "What was that all about?" he asked.  
  
"I just remembered I left my partner hanging and needed to tell him that I wasn't coming in tonight," Sara lied, trying to stay as far away from the roadie thing as possible.  
  
"Okay." Darren replied, dismissing it out of his mind before it could begin to dwell there until it bugged the hell out of him. "Are you ready to have some fun?"  
  
"Of course," Sara answered as they stood up and headed out of the restaurant to the waiting limo outside.  
  
*~*~*  
  
"Oh, my, starry eyed surprise. Sundown to sunrise. Dance all night. We're gonna dance all night to this DJ," Paul Oakenfold's "Starry Eyed Surprise" blared over the speakers as Darren pressed body against Sara's while they danced on the enormous floor of New York's hottest club, Charisma. His arms were gently resting on her hips as they swayed together to the trance music. The song was quickly mixed into DJ Sammy's "Heaven."  
  
"I love this song!" Darren yelled over the loud music. "Baby you're all that I want, when you're lying here in my arms. I'm finding it hard to believe, we're in heaven," he sang along. Sara wrapped her arms around his neck, the smile on her face unable to go away, especially after the three Long Island Iced T's she drank before even stepping onto the dance floor.  
  
Sara hated the club scene. It made her job a living nightmare. Most murders she usually encountered were some kind of brawl at a club that just led from on thing to another, and finally to someone getting killed. But with so much alcohol in her system, the club just seemed like another great hangout.  
  
"This song is awesome!" she yelled into Darren's ear. Sara ran her fingers through his hair, gently pulling him closer to her lips before planting a soft kiss on top of them. With the perfect song playing in the background, it seemed like the right thing to do. "Now nothing can change what you mean to me. There's a lot that I could say, but just hold me now, 'cause our love will light the way." the song continued.  
  
And Darren held her, not daring to let Sara go even as the music played on and the people stared. He finally managed to pull away, her eyes probing his, trying to figure out why. "Come on," he said, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the club and back into the limo. They drove for only a couple of minutes before the driver stopped and let them out.  
  
They were in Central Park in front of a white horse drawn carriage, the driver waiting for them. "Oh, my God!" Sara whispered. She couldn't believe that Darren had done all this for her. She was ready and willing to believe that he was her Prince Charming, and would probably accept a wedding proposal under these circumstances, if that would ever happen.  
  
"Didn't I tell you that you'd love it?" Darren said as he helped her up.  
  
"I can't tell you how nice this is," Sara said, the alcohol in her system slowly draining away.  
  
Darren gently wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as the driver took off through the park. Sara looked up into those beautiful blue pools that were his eyes and saw a glimpse of what seemed to be genuine bliss, something she, too, was experiencing at the moment. His lips gently kissed her forehead, then her nose, her cheeks, and finally her lips. They stayed locked onto each other for most of the ride, or at least until the driver stopped in front of Darren's hotel.  
  
The night was coming to a close, but Darren still had something up his sleeve. As he helped Sara down and walked her inside, they stopped just at the door.  
  
"I have to ask you something," Darren said as he took her hands and held them.  
  
Sara couldn't help the smile that grew on her lips. "What, Darren?" she replied eagerly.  
  
He pulled something out of his pocket, which stayed concealed. Sara's mouth began to drop. 'He can't be,' she thought in shock when she remembered what had run through her mind earlier that night about accepting a wedding proposal if it came.  
  
"Well, I hope you enjoyed tonight, because I really did. Just being in your presence was enough to make my day so much more wonderful. You're someone special, someone I want to be around day in and day out," Darren said as Sara's excitement and dread grew. Her hand was already covering her mouth by the time he finally blurted, "I would be honored if you'd accompany me to the Vogue Fashion Awards next week."  
  
Sara looked at him strangely, relief flooding her mind when she realized what he had said. "Yeah, of course! I'd love to," she answered. "Wow, it's like everything tonight went from good to great to perfect."  
  
"It's not perfect yet," Darren replied as he pulled her into his body and consumed her with yet another kiss. As their lips parted, he added, "Now it's perfect."  
  
Sara rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, "Does tonight really have to end?"  
  
Looking down at the beautiful woman in his arms, Darren answered, "No."  
  
Sara looked up into his eyes and saw exactly what he was thinking. Darren led her into the hotel and to his room. She knew the perfect end to the night was coming, and was ready to accept it. 


	11. Chapter 10: Repentance

Chapter 10: Repentance  
  
Sara awoke the next morning in utter bliss. She stretched out, her arms rising above her head and her legs extending past the thick comforter she was wrapped in. Someone rolled over beside her and put his hand over her exposed abdomen. She smiled and turned in his direction.  
  
Darren slept beside her, or at least she thought he was asleep. His eyes opened to reveal those beautiful blue sapphires hidden beneath his eyelids. They were even brighter than she could remember in this early morning light. Her hand gently reached over and touched his cheek. He was still a little flushed from the night before, but it didn't matter. She moved closer and kissed him.  
  
"Good morning," Sara whispered as he wrapped his arms around her.  
  
"Morning," Darren replied as he pressed his forehead up against hers.  
  
"Last night was wonderful," she commented.  
  
"You were wonderful."  
  
Sara kissed him again. Darren held onto her for a couple more moments before he let her go. He gazed into her emerald eyes and gently brushed a strand of her dark hair away from her face. The picture of her beside him that morning would never leave his memory. Sara was the one every woman would be compared to. In his mind, she was perfect, and no one could replace her.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Sara asked as she tried to read his expression.  
  
"How deeply I've fallen for you," Darren answered with as much sincerity his voice could carry. "I don't think any woman will ever compare to you."  
  
Sara blushed as she thought about her own side of this experience. Darren had been her Prince Charming, saving her from all the "bad boys" she had ever dated. She never thought dating one of the "good guys" would result in finding her soul mate. 'Soul mate,' she said the words in her mind once more. 'A fitting title for the man that I might have just fallen in love with.'  
  
Sara thought back to her conversation with Gabriel about the man she was destined to be with. Maybe Darren was Sebastian. Maybe this really was meant to be. Maybe she really was in love. 'I'm in love.' Sara smiled at the thought.  
  
"What are you thinking about?" Darren asked.  
  
"I'm thinking about how you're the most wonderful guy I've ever met," she answered.  
  
"And you're the most wonderful girl I've ever met. Some people wait a lifetime for a moment like this. I can't believe it's happened to me," he said. "You know what the first thought was that went through my mind when I saw you at the concert the other night?"  
  
"No, what?"  
  
"Oh, my God, I think I'm in love." Sara laughed at his response. Darren stared back at her in dead seriousness. She stopped laughing when she realized what he was going to say next. "Sara, I really do think this was a case of love at first sight."  
  
"You do?" she asked, the lump in her throat forming as she tried to tell him the same.  
  
Darren nodded. "Do you believe in love at first sight?" he replied.  
  
With the tears streaming from her deep green eyes, Sara nodded. She let Darren wipe them away with his hand, the sensation of his fingers touching her skin making her heart swell to enormous proportions. "I love you," she finally cried, her arms wrapping tightly around his neck. He held her as she cried those joyful tears until they finally subsided.  
  
"Darren?" Sara asked as she stared deeply into his eyes.  
  
"Yes, Sara?" he whispered.  
  
"Do you believe in destiny?"  
  
Darren looked at her strangely. He propped himself up on his elbow and stared at her. There was something about his expression that scared her. It was as if she had caught him off guard with the question. "If this is what destiny is, finding the one person that makes your life complete and fills your heart with so much joy, then I do believe in it," he answered, but he was clearly not getting her point.  
  
"Do you think it's possible for love to span eternity? You know, like two lovers that were meant to be finding each other in every lifetime?" Sara managed to catch him off guard again.  
  
Darren simply stared at her, unable to comprehend what she was getting at. Was this a trick question? He didn't know. He tried to formulate the answer in his mind as Sara waited and watched him, and just as he was about to speak up, her phone rang. She stood up and began to rummage through the pile of clothing on the floor until she finally found her cell and answered.  
  
"McCarty, what the hell do you want?" Sara said as she stood by the bed.  
  
"It's nearly nine and you're still not here. I was getting worried. You never show up late," Jack replied as calmly as he could.  
  
"Sorry, last night caught me off guard. I wasn't expecting to sleep in this late," she lied.  
  
"But you're coming in today, right?" he asked. "Because I know you wouldn't want to miss all the wonderful work I did last night regarding the new roadie case. I got that information you wanted about Anastasia Rossini. Turns out she was born in Rome on December 19, 1974. She lived with her father, who was an archeologist from the US. He taught her the art of ancient Roman warfare. She moved to Australia in 1992 and has lived there since. Just a few months ago she was hired as Darren Hayes' personal assistant. As for any priors, she was once charged for wielding a bronze sword in a Brisbane train station."  
  
Sara could feel her heart begin to beat faster. It was as if she had just caught the criminal red handed. "There's more," Jake added. "I did a search for any strange murders in the Brisbane area and found that there were three such decapitations reported, but have remained unsolved. I even went further and used the tour schedule to see if there were any other decapitations reported in the countries that Darren had played, and guess what?"  
  
"How many did you find?" Sara questioned.  
  
"At least one in every country. And in the US, Chicago, Atlanta, San Francisco, and New York were the only places that the decapitations had happened. Most of the people killed were loners, people who were either very quiet or blended in with society, people who wouldn't be missed, people that didn't have a family or were out on the streets with no place to go. The roadies didn't start happening until New York which suggests a change in her style."  
  
"Shit," she cursed. "Do we have enough evidence to bring her in?"  
  
"Unfortunately, we barely have enough evidence to continue pursuing this case," Jake answered.  
  
Sara was lost in thought for a moment as she tried to formulate a plan that might catch their killer in the act. But her mind suddenly clicked into another mode. She remembered the other woman Gabriel had told her about, Amazon, and the fact that she said she would avenge her death. 'Oh, no,' Sara thought in horror. 'She's after Darren and me.'  
  
"Jake, I have to go," she said. "I'll be there soon." She hung up before he even had time to reply.  
  
Darren was looking at her strangely again, except this time, the expression on his face made it clear that he wasn't too happy. "What's going on?" he demanded.  
  
Sara avoided eye contact with him. "I have to get to work," she simply replied.  
  
"What's going on, Sara," Darren said more sternly. "Don't lie to me."  
  
She had already hopped into her leather pants and was now putting on her top as Darren stared at her, his eyes burning with anger. Sara looked up at him, her own eyes trying to stay cool and calm. She knew she had to tell him what was going on. Looking down at her shoes, she finally said, "I tried to stay away from it last night because I didn't want to ruin the evening, but I guess I should have at least mentioned it to you when you were in my office. Another roadie was killed. Anastasia called it in. Apparently she didn't bother to tell you or Leonie."  
  
"What?" he nearly yelled as he shot out of bed. "Who? And why didn't you tell me?"  
  
"Leonard Smith, and I didn't tell you because last night was too good to screw things up with something as horrible as this," Sara calmly replied.  
  
Darren was already running his fingers through his hair in a frustrated manner. "Shit, now the press is really going to have a field day," he muttered.  
  
"Look, Darren, I'm sorry. I know I should have told you," she began to apologize, but Darren put up his hand to stop her.  
  
"You know what, I don't want to hear it," he spat. "Just get out."  
  
"What?" It was Sara's turn to be surprised.  
  
"You heard me, get out of my hotel room," Darren angrily answered as he wrapped the blanket around his body and walked to the door to open it.  
  
Sara grabbed whatever stuff she wasn't wearing and left the room, taking the hint quickly. Her anger boiled up inside as she felt the hot tears that stung her eyes. Her heart was in her throat by the time she reached the elevator. As she waited for it to arrive on her floor, she finally broke down.  
  
It had been a long time since someone had broken Sara's heart this badly. This was probably the main reason she stayed away from dating. It seemed that every time she thought she had found Mr. Right, he'd turn around so quickly and become Mr. Wrong. Darren turned out to be another Mr. Wrong. Maybe she should have shut him out like so many other men who tried to make a pass on her, especially Jake. He had tried so many times, but met with no success. The boy was resilient and innovative; Sara gave him that much credit. But, after all, he was her partner, and a relationship between partners was strongly frowned upon.  
  
Sara stopped crying the moment the elevator doors opened. She dried her eyes and dismissed the whole episode as if it never happened, but in the back of her mind it would continue to linger, slowly eating away at her. To take her mind off it, Sara looked down at the Witchblade to find it glowing that angry shade of red again. Her mind told her to head back upstairs and warn Darren about the threat Anastasia posed, but her heart was as cold as ice towards him, and she continued to the lobby towards the valet to get her bike.  
  
"Are you where you wanted to be? Did you get there easily? Did I make you sacrifice? Did you make a sharp left when you should have turned right? Are you where you wanted to be? Did you sell off all of your gold? Did you trade it in? Did you wait for love or settle for somebody to hold?" The lyrics echoed through the lobby as if the sounds of the bustling hotel didn't affect them. Sara recognized the voice as Darren's and almost immediately broke down again. She ran out of the lobby, trying to get as far away from him as he could.  
  
"Barely symphonic, but strangely ironic, moments contained in one glance. Oh how I adored you But now I'm ignored by you. Nowhere a hint of romance, and now it's vaguely familiar; I think I remember sharing every single intimacy. It doesn't seem so strange to me that we barely entertained even the politest of phrases, but sometimes at night I conjure you up in my mind," the song continued to play until she finally burst out the front doors and out into the bustling street.  
  
Sara sat down in front of the hotel on the steps to collect her thoughts. This day has slowly gone from bad to worse. She knew she looked like shit, but going home to clean up and change just wasn't an option. Instead, she opened her purse and pulled out a mirror with a couple of tissues to wipe off any runny makeup and fix her hair. Sara had the valet on duty bring her bike around as she pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and dialed Jake's number.  
  
"Hey, Pez," he almost immediately answered.  
  
"I'm coming," she simply answered when the valet pulled up to the curb with her bike.  
  
"Thanks for the warning," Jake replied as he hung up, not waiting for Sara to say anything more. She was hurt by the fact that he didn't want to talk, especially now when she needed someone so desperately to confide her experience in. She put her phone away and mounted her bike, then took off as fast as she could, trying to release herself from that morning as quickly as possible. 


	12. Chapter 11: Trepidation

Chapter 11: Trepidation  
  
Sara hobbled into the precinct, her foul mood apparent by the way everyone seemed to stare at her. Even Captain Dante, the one man who despised her with a passion, seemed to keep his distance as she walked past him on her way to her office. She pushed her door open to find Jake sitting at her desk reading a case file. He looked up at her with a smile on his face, but it soon turned into a frown when he saw that she wasn't in all too good of a mood.  
  
He was out of her chair in a split second, allowing her to slide into it and slump down. Sara rested her head on her desk as Jake asked, "What happened to you?"  
  
"What do you think happened?" she growled, not bothering to look up.  
  
"Does it have something to do with Darren?" he calmly questioned.  
  
"It has everything to do with Darren."  
  
"He dumped you, didn't he? That little bastard! I knew musicians were bad news."  
  
"He didn't dump me, we just had a fight, that's all," Sara corrected as she sat upright in her chair. "A stupid little fight that could have been avoided if someone had just told him that there was another roadie murder."  
  
"You mean he didn't know that another one was killed yesterday?" Jake asked, a little surprised.  
  
All too suddenly, a strong feeling of fear erupted in the pit of Sara's stomach. She almost immediately looked down at the Witchblade to find the angry red color now swirling. A flash of something came into her mind. Darren was in trouble. Sara could feel him; feel his fear and his pain in bursts. She shot out of her chair, startling Jake, and grabbed her keys.  
  
"Pez, where are you going?" he called after her, but she was already out the door.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Darren sat at his desk wrapped in a white cotton robe, his head resting on his left hand as his right hand held a glass of Vodka from the minibar in his room. He had been thinking long and hard about what had happened between him and Sara, finally realizing that he had been in the wrong for kicking her out like he did. She had professed her love to him, and now he wished he had just said those three words to tell her that he felt the same way. He knew she probably was never going to come back. He had smashed her heart into pieces, and hearing the echoes of her sobs reverberating through the halls and into his room only reaffirmed this.  
  
Taking a gulp of the Vodka, Darren heard a knock at the door. He stood up slowly, the alcohol already circulating through his system, messing with his brain. It hadn't even been an hour since Sara had left, maybe she forgot something and was coming back to get it. 'Not a chance in hell,' Darren thought. He grabbed the knob and pulled the door open to find Anastasia standing there, the strangest look in her eyes. They were very distant, very distracted, but there came a feeling of anger and malice from them, something Darren had never seen before.  
  
"Hey, Anna," he cautiously said as he blocked the door.  
  
"I need to talk to you," she replied in almost a monotone voice. Anastasia pushed him aside and entered his room.  
  
"If this is about the roadie, I already know," Darren told her as he closed the door and followed her to his bed. "Which reminds me, why didn't you say anything about it? I had to find out from Sara."  
  
"That's not important," Anastasia retorted. She looked down at the crumpled sheets of the bed. "You had a visitor last night, didn't you?"  
  
"Yeah, Sara," he answered.  
  
Anastasia twirled around, her blond hair flying around her face, her distant eyes becoming animated with anger and hatred. Darren became frightened seeing the sudden change in her facial features. He stepped back towards the door knowing if he angered her further, he could at least fly out of the room. With incredible speed, she was upon him. She knocked him to the floor as if he were a doll.  
  
"She doesn't love you!" Anastasia screamed as she held him down. Darren stared up at her, the fear paralyzing him. He could barely speak, let alone move. "I love you!" she continued. "I have loved you for thousands of years, but you never once acknowledged it!"  
  
'She's mad!' Darren thought until she grabbed his hand and closed her eyes.  
  
A stream of images flowed from her mind into his, pictures of the Roman Coliseum, a crowd of over nearly 30,000 spectators watching two women battle against each other. Anastasia was one of the fighters, Sara being the other. Both were clad in silver armor, Anastasia holding a bronze sword and Sara holding a gauntlet made of what appeared to be silver, but it changed forms before his eyes into a sword. Darren could see himself running towards them when Sara got the upper hand and put Anastasia to her knees, the sword at her throat.  
  
"Please!" Anastasia begged. "I swear I'll stay away from Sebastian for as long as I live!"  
  
"You'll only try to defeat me again," Sara replied as she held up her sword. The crowd was now screaming for her to kill Anastasia.  
  
Anastasia stopped begging. She became very rigid as she hissed, "Then let it be known I shall avenge my death in the next life, and the next, until I have finally defeated you and won Sebastian."  
  
Sara raised her sword, and with one blow, Anastasia's head fell off her body. The sword retracted into the gauntlet, and the gauntlet became the bracelet on Sara's wrist. Darren had just reached the arena as she backed away from the dead body, horrified by what she had done. She hit Darren and turned around. He raised his cheek and gently stroked it with his fingers.  
  
"It's alright, Achillia," he found himself saying.  
  
"No, it's not, Sebastian," she answered, taking the bracelet off her wrist and placing it on his. "Here, you keep the Witchblade for now. I must have some peace before I return." She walked away from him into the darkened archway that led down below the Coliseum.  
  
The images stopped suddenly as Anastasia let go of his hand, terminating the connection. Darren was finally beginning to understand the strange and downright frightening dreams he had been having in the last couple of weeks. Unfortunately, his mistake of not paying attention to Anastasia was about to cost him. He tried to get up off the ground, but something heavy and metal came across his forehead, knocking him unconscious.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Sara had pushed her bike to the limit and made it to Darren's hotel in less then five minutes. Her heart pounded as she pushed the up button for the elevator, but with her patience running thin, she couldn't sit and wait. Instead, she ran for the stairs. Four flights weren't that bad, was it?  
  
Sara pushed herself to the forth floor, her legs barely making it as she burst through the door, panting, her gun drawn. Slowly, she surveyed the corridor of closed doors to make sure there was no threat there. Walking down the hall, she continued to scan every little nook and cranny of the forth floor for signs of danger.  
  
Finding none, Sara started to run towards Darren's room at the end of the hall. Her approach was quiet and skillful, noticing that the door was opened a crack. She held her breath for a moment, clearing her mind to make sure she was ready for the task ahead of her. 'One, two, THREE!' she counted in her head, then burst through the door, her gun out in front of her.  
  
Inside the room, Darren lay in his bed, a large, bloody gash at the top of his forehead. "Oh, my God! Darren!" Sara cried as she rushed over to him.  
  
Anastasia seemed to materialize behind her, a thin, sharp bronze sword resting comfortably in her right hand. "Well, Detective Pezzini. We meet again," she sneered. Sara spun around, startled, but not frightened. She had been waiting for this. "Did you finally figure out who the murderer was?"  
  
"By the looks of it, she's standing in front of me with the murder weapon," Sara snidely replied as she reached for her gun.  
  
"Ah, ah! I don't think so, Achillia," Anastasia emphasized the name. She walked over to the side of the bed and picked up the weapon.  
  
"What did you call me?" Sara asked in confusion.  
  
"Achillia, the Roman warrior, daughter of the senator Marius, and lover of the gladiator Sebastian," Anastasia explained in her own snide way. "Tell me, Detective, have you had any strange dreams lately?"  
  
"No," Sara vehemently denied.  
  
"I think you have, otherwise you wouldn't be here trying to save your precious Sebastian," Anastasia mocked.  
  
Sara's temper was wearing thin as her mind game continued. With her first weapon of choice taken away, she had only one other form of protection left, but that wouldn't come until it was absolutely necessary. She played along with Anastasia's game, hoping to outsmart her before she had to call upon the Witchblade.  
  
"So, Anastasia, what's your real name?" Sara asked, knowing the answer to her question even before she said it.  
  
"Amazon," she said. "I was a great warrior goddess until you came along and took the title from me with that little lethal amulet upon your wrist. The Witchblade, am I correct?"  
  
"Maybe, maybe not," Sara answered, keeping cooler than a cucumber. She tucked her hand behind her back trying to keep the weapon from her opponent's line of vision.  
  
"I know what it is, Detective. I've done my homework on it, and you. You've only had it for a little while. As for your predecessor, she had it for years before it abandoned her, and she actually knew how to wield it, unlike you."  
  
Sara's anger continued to rise. She made a fist to release the pressure she was feeling at the moment. Anastasia merely smiled at her with the same snide expression that had been on her face since they met that morning.  
  
"What I'd like to see is if your little amulet can stand up to this," she continued, pulling the bronze sword out from behind her. She held it up to Sara's neck, the blade gently running down her throat. "Hmmm. this rings a bell, doesn't it?"  
  
Sara swallowed hard as she tried to stay calm. She could feel the cold blade run dangerously close to her flesh. Anastasia pulled the sword away and held it up in her gladiatorial stance. Almost immediately the Witchblade came to life, transforming from the bracelet around Sara's wrist to the gauntlet and sword. The two women sized each other up, each one scanning the other's features for any signs of weakness.  
  
It was Anastasia that struck first, the bronze sword plunging dangerously close to Sara's left side as she cried out. Sara moved away quickly, her gut reaction. Her own sword took a swing at Anastasia, only to be deflected by the bronze edge. Their weapons continued to clash as the battle heated up.  
  
Sara's heart was racing as she tried with all her might to keep Anastasia from slashing her with the sharp sword, but it was futile. No matter how hard she fought, Anastasia continued to gain ground against her. By now, she was covered in cuts and scratches, especially on her hand and arms. There was a cut on her forehead from the bronze sword as she tried to avoid it hitting her skull.  
  
Sara was becoming weaker by the moment, but the two continued to fight, neither one showing any slight chance of giving up. Sara managed to jump onto a chair, but slicing the legs off it, Anastasia had her on her back, the Witchblade flying though the air and falling to the ground beside the bed.  
  
Anastasia's eyes widened when she saw the weapon tumble to the ground far from its wielder. Sara immediately jumped to her feet, trying desperately to regain control of the Witchblade. Anastasia lunged towards it, but Sara grabbed her foot, making her fall to the floor along with her.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Darren woke up to the sounds of metal clashing. His head was spinning as he tried to make sense of it all. He couldn't remember if he had left the TV on or the radio, but he knew it was coming from nearby. Rolling onto his back, he finally opened his eyes to find Sara and Anastasia battling it out, their swords drawn, their faces showing almost no emotion, not even fear.  
  
He sat up just as Sara jumped onto a chair. Anastasia had sliced the legs off it, knocking Sara to the floor and sending her weapon into the air. It fell right beside his bed. Anastasia lunged for it, but Sara grabbed a hold of her leg, sending her to the floor right beside her.  
  
As the two of them fought, Darren snatched up the weapon and stared at it. He knew it was the Witchblade, the ancient weapon he had seen in Anastasia's strange visions. All too suddenly, the strong urge to put it on came over him.  
  
Sara looked up just as Darren was slipping his hand into the gauntlet. "Darren, NO!" she screamed, but it was too late. The Witchblade was already upon his wrist. But something strange was beginning to happen. Unlike the last man that had tried to wield it, there were no ill effects on him. It was as if the Witchblade had known him and was letting him grasp its powers. Sara's mouth dropped open as she stared at him. He, too, marveled by the amount of power he was feeling at the moment.  
  
Anastasia was also staring, except her eyes showed the fear of nearly two millennia behind them. She was quick to get on her feet even though Sara tried to grab her and hold her down. Bounding through the door, Anastasia managed to get away with her life, but it wasn't the last time she'd be seen.  
  
Sara glanced back at Darren, the Witchblade still holding onto his wrist as he advanced towards her. She was all too quickly becoming light headed from the amount of blood she had lost, and before he even reached her, she was already unconscious on the floor.  
  
The Witchblade had taken its inanimate form as a bracelet on Darren's wrist as he kneeled down beside Sara and gently scooped her body into his arms. He carried her to the bed, delicately laying her on top of the crumpled sheets so she could rest. 


	13. Chapter 12: Elucidation

Chapter 12: Elucidation  
  
A throbbing pain from the left side of her head had awoken Sara that afternoon. She kept her eyes closed fearing if she opened them, her headache would get worse. As she rolled over in bed, she felt someone sit down at the edge. Her eyes shot open to find Darren staring down at her, holding a warm towel. He placed it on the top of her head and smiled.  
  
"Afternoon," he said, his sweet Australian accent shining though as he gently dabbed her forehead with the warm cloth.  
  
"What happened?" Sara groaned as she settled onto her back.  
  
"You took one hell of a beating this morning," Darren answered. He grabbed a bag of ice from a basin beside the bed and eased it onto her bruised right hand.  
  
Sara watched him and noticed that the Witchblade was gone. She would have flown out of bed it Darren hadn't held her down. "Whoa, stay still," he said. "You shouldn't be moving around too much."  
  
"But." Sara began, only to have Darren's finger placed upon her lips.  
  
"You're looking for this, aren't you?" he asked, pulling the Witchblade out of his pocket and placing it back onto her wrist.  
  
Sara merely stared at him with wide, mortified eyes, but soon those scared feelings washed away when she remembered the morning's events. The memory of Anastasia trying to kill her replayed in her mind as if it was happening at that moment. She continued to stare at Darren with a questionable expression on her face.  
  
"I know what you're thinking," he said. "And I think I can explain."  
  
"I'm all ears," Sara retorted without meaning to mock him.  
  
Darren let the comment slide as he continued. "First off, I'm sorry about kicking you out like I did. I now understand why you kept the second roadie's death from me. Second, about today and all the odd things that happened, well, I really don't know where to start."  
  
"How about the beginning?" she asked, her voice a little more forgiving.  
  
"After you left, I got really depressed and started drinking. Anastasia dropped in, and she had this really sinister look in her eyes. She really freaked me out. She said something about you not loving me and that she had always loved me. Then she took my hand and we connected somehow. She showed me all this weird stuff that was in my dream just a few weeks ago, but the detail was incredible. I saw you and her at the Roman Coliseum as gladiators. You had her down on her knees and she yelled something about avenging her death in a later life. Then you sliced off her head with that," Darren said, pointing to the bracelet on Sara's wrist. "When I reached the arena, you called it the Witchblade, and you gave it to me for some reason."  
  
Sara looked away, remembering her own strange dream. Darren noticed the somber look in her eyes and asked, "What is the Witchblade?"  
  
"The Witchblade," Sara began, "is a weapon of incredible power. It chooses its wielder, not the other way around. Legend has it only women of unmatched strength of mind, body, and will have ever successfully worn it. Joan of Arc was one of it's wielders as was Achillia the gladiatrix, as am I. You, who were formally known as Sebastian in Achillia's time, were the only man the Witchblade had ever chosen as a wielder, and that was only because Achillia had mastered its powers and allowed it. She and Sebastian were secret lovers, and the way she had secured that love was by having Sebastian wear the weapon during gladiatorial battles."  
  
"So, you're telling me that our love goes back thousands of years, that we were meant to be, and that finding each other was inevitable?" Darren questioned. Sara nodded. "That's why you asked all those questions."  
  
"Yeah, I just wanted to see if you would believe me if I told you," she said. "Do you believe me?"  
  
"If I told you I didn't, I'd be a hypocrite," he answered.  
  
"How?"  
  
"Because then I'd be denying all the feelings I had when I first saw you."  
  
Sara smiled. She knew deep in her heart that he was being truthful. Darren gazed into her deep green eyes, a grin coming across his lush pink lips. He leaned in and kissed her softly. "Would you believe me if I told you I loved you?" he whispered into her ear as he hovered above her body.  
  
"Yes," Sara whispered back. Their arms wrapped around each other as Darren initiated another kiss. Just as things were beginning to get heavy between them, Sara's cell phone began to ring. She groaned, rolling over to the nightstand and picking it up.  
  
"McCarty!" she yelled at her partner.  
  
"Pez! Where the hell have you been? I've tried to get a hold of you for the last eight hours, but your boyfriend kept telling me that you were asleep. What the hell have you two been up to?" Jake yelled back.  
  
"That's my business, not yours," Sara retorted, ready to hang up on him.  
  
"Dante's pissed at you for not being in the office. He's ready to skin your hide if you're not here in the next hour," he warned.  
  
"Tell him to screw himself. If he really wants to fire me, then so be it. I don't give a shit," she answered.  
  
"I'll just tell him you're sick," Jake offered.  
  
"You go do that," Sara replied as she hung up and turned off her phone. She turned to Darren and asked, "Now, where were we?"  
  
He wrapped his arms around her once more and said, "Right here," as he kissed her.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Darren was the first to wake up the next morning with Sara's warm body nestled up against his beneath the sheets of their bed. He held her in his arms and watched her as she slept. A growing peace consumed him as he continued to gaze at the woman beside him. She was everything he had imagined her to be, down to the last curve of her body. She was perfect and would remain that way until the day she died. He couldn't help but place a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder.  
  
"I could stay awake just to hear you breathing. Watch you smile while you are sleeping, while you're far away and dreaming. I could spend my life in this sweet surrender. I could stay lost in this moment forever. Well, every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure," Darren softly sang as he buried his face into the luscious locks of her hair.  
  
Sara could feel Darren's lips upon her skin and hear his soft singing from behind her. She turned around to face him with a warm smile across her face. "Morning, love," he whispered as their eyes connected.  
  
"Morning," Sara yawned, stretching out her arms above his head then wrapping them around his neck.  
  
"How do you feel today?" Darren asked.  
  
"I'm doing better," she replied. "I don't hurt anymore."  
  
"That's good," he said, his hand tenderly moving across her cheek as a smile appeared across his lips. "You look much better. You're not as pale as you were yesterday. I wonder if I had anything to do that," he joked.  
  
"You probably did, I just didn't know it," Sara answered as she smiled.  
  
"I'm just glad to see that you're doing so well. I thought I was going to lose you by the looks of the cuts all over your body. But you take a licking and keep on ticking," Darren cracked another joke. Sara couldn't help but laugh at this one. "So, are you hungry? I'd think you would be because you lost so much energy. Want me to order something from room service?"  
  
"Yeah," she replied. "A big, juicy steak with a baked potato and all the trimmings. Oh, and don't forget the A1 sauce."  
  
"It's six in the morning! I was thinking something more along the lines of an omelet or pancakes," he said, picking up the phone.  
  
"Okay, then I'll have a cheese omelet, two pancakes, three strips of bacon, and two sausage links with a really big glass of orange juice."  
  
*~*~*  
  
With her appetite satisfied and every cut bandaged, Sara was dressed back into her now three day old clothes and headed home. She desperately needed to shower and change before she went back to work. Hopefully Dante had believed the sick story that Jake made up, but she'd still have to explain things to both of them in a way that could be accepted.  
  
'There's already been enough strange shit that's happened in the last few months,' she thought. "Maybe I can get away with one more. Nah.'  
  
Sara began to figure out how to make her story believable. 'Okay, this is what happened. I had this feeling that something bad was going to happen to Darren, so I went to his hotel room to check it out. Lo and behold, there was his assistant with a huge bronze dagger trying to kill us because she had some ancient grudge against us,' was the first idea. 'Hell no!'  
  
'Okay, how about this? I had a hunch that Darren was Anastasia's planned target and that all these roadies were a way of trying to tell the cops about her intentions after he was dead. So I went over to his hotel room, and lo and behold, she was there with a huge sword ready to chop his head off. I started to stop her, but she ran off before I even had time to pull out my gun. But how did I end up with all these cuts and scratches?' Another plan gone awry. Sara stepped into the shower and kept thinking.  
  
'How about I had that same hunch that Darren was Anastasia's next victim, and when I went over to the hotel, I found her trying to kill Darren. I picked up the only object I could find, which was a golf club, and started to fight with her. She cut me a few times with her sword, but then I hid behind a chair and pulled my gun, and she was off like lightening. Perfect.' Sara smiled, the plan devised in her head. She didn't have to worry about if Darren would go with it or not. She knew he had to or there would be some more explaining to do on his behalf.  
  
After putting on some fresh clothes and grabbing a coffee, Sara was back at work in no time, as if nothing had happened in the last two days. She found Jake in her office, pouring over the documents on Anastasia Rossini, Ryan Walters, and Leonard Smith. As he looked up and saw her in the doorway, he said, "Lucy, you gots some 'splaining to do."  
  
"No shit," Sara replied as she sat down in her chair and put her feet up. "Where do you want me to start?"  
  
"How about the part where you rushed out of here the other day?" Jake answered as he folded his arms over his chest and patiently waited for Sara's response.  
  
"Okay, so this is what happened." she began. 


	14. Chapter 13: One More Hurdle

Chapter 13: One More Hurdle  
  
Sara frantically searched her closet for the fifth time that morning trying to find the perfect thing to wear. The countdown to the Fashion Awards had begun, and she only had eight hours left before Darren arrived to take her to the event. "If only I knew what he was wearing," she mumbled, throwing another bunch of clothes onto her bed.  
  
A few minutes later, Sara heard the phone ring in her living room. As she rushed to answer it, she tripped over a hanger and flew across the floor, landing right beside the coffee table where the phone sat. She reached up and panted, "Hello?"  
  
"Sara? Is that you?" Darren replied. "You sound a little out of breath. Are you okay?"  
  
"I just slid across the floor and ran into the coffee table. Of course I'm okay," she retorted, sitting up and running her hand through the tangled mess she called her hair.  
  
"Oh, my God! What were you doing?" he asked almost sympathetically.  
  
"I was ransacking my closet, that's what I was doing. I can't find a thing to wear tonight. And on top of that, who the hell is supposed to do my hair and makeup?" Sara snapped.  
  
"Whoa, love. Calm down. I'm sure you'll find something," Darren serenely replied.  
  
"Why did you call?" Sara questioned.  
  
"Well, I wanted to know what you were wearing for the show, but I guess I won't be getting my answer."  
  
"What do you suggest? A nice outfit? Leather? A dress? Anything to help me narrow my search," she desperately said.  
  
"A dress, preferably," he replied. Then, almost all too suddenly, Darren had an idea. "Oh, my God! I know! I'll be right over," he said, hanging up.  
  
"Darren? Darren!" Sara yelled, but all she heard was the dial tone. She didn't know whether to be scared or happy that he had an idea. Instead of contemplating it any further, she decided to clean up the mess in her room. The clothes were still scattered everywhere. It would take at least an hour to reorganize her closet after giving it such a thorough inspection. 'As long as it passes the time,' she thought.  
  
*~*~*  
  
Darren stood outside Sara's apartment door almost an hour later with a large bag in one hand and a dozen red roses in the other. He knocked and waited, growing a little impatient when she yelled, "Give me a minute!"  
  
Sara threw the last of the clothes into her closet and ran to the door, still clad in a pair of boxers and a tee shirt. She quickly smoothed out her hair then grabbed the door knob. Darren stood there with flowers and a huge bag. "You really didn't have to," were the first words out of her mouth as she took the flowers.  
  
"It was nothing," he replied. "Here, this is for you. I hope it fits."  
  
Sara took the bag that Darren handed to her and opened it. Her eyes became wide with surprise as she gasped. Inside was the red dress that she had seen in one of the flashes she shared with Darren only a week earlier. It was a princess line strapless red dress made of peau de soie satin. Holding it up against her body, she remained speechless.  
  
"Darren," Sara merely whispered, the awe evident in her voice, as she looked into his deep blue eyes.  
  
"Red is so becoming of you, Sara," he answered. "Try it on. I'm dying to see what it looks like on you. And don't forget the rest of the stuff in the bag; the scarf, the shoes, and the choker."  
  
Sara walked into her room, shocked that Darren even cared enough to buy this for her. She slowly put on the dress, careful not to rip any seams or hems. Returning to the bag, she found the matching red scarf, the three inch red stilettos and the beautiful Swarovski crystal choker. It took her a while to put everything on, but when she was done, the transformation was incredible.  
  
Darren had taken a seat on Sara's couch as he waited for her. He knew his impatience was growing as he started to twiddle his thumbs. He laughed at himself for being so nervous, but the wait was worth it. The moment he heard the clicking of heels coming towards him, Darren turned around immediately. Sara stood before him, even more beautiful then he had imagined. She looked perfect in the red dress, especially when she walked into the sunlight that streamed in from the window and reflected off her choker. It was his turn to be speechless.  
  
"What do you think?" Sara shyly asked as she spun around, the dress flying with her.  
  
"You look." It took Darren a couple of seconds to pick the right word to describe her. "You look stunning," he finally mumbled, his eyes never straying once from her body.  
  
"Thank you," she replied, a bright smile appearing on her face. "Now, if only you could say the same about my hair and makeup."  
  
"Oh, shit. I knew I forgot something," Darren said. Then it hit him. "Wait, what about your friend, Vicky, was it?" Sara nodded. "Can she help you?"  
  
"I don't know. There's only one way to find out."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Jake sat at his desk that Monday afternoon, a pile of work atop it. He was still trying to figure out why there were still a few holes in Sara's story, but then again, this was Sara, and holes in her stories had become almost typical. He shook his head as he put the file down and reached for the stale coffee beside his stack of folders. Looking up, he saw the beautiful girl in the red dress standing at the main desk talking to one of the receptionists.  
  
"Who's the hottie?" Jake said aloud, prompting Danny to turn in his direction with a questionable expression on his face.  
  
"What? Hottie?" he asked. Jake simply pointed to the girl at the desk. Danny almost laughed. It wasn't everyday someone in that type of outfit walked into the homicide department. For a moment, he thought it was a joke.  
  
"Excuse me," Jake replied as he stood up and started to walk towards her. "I have an appointment to make."  
  
Danny laughed at his cockiness. "You go do that," he called after him.  
  
With a cool and confident attitude, Jake slowly approached the woman. Even from behind, she was a tantalizing sight to look at. Her dark hair flowed over her strong shoulders and down her back. He gently tapped her shoulder and said, "Excuse me, I don't want you to think this is ridiculous or anything, but you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I just wanted to tell you that."  
  
*~*~*  
  
Sara stood at the reception desk of the homicide department waiting for someone to page Vicky. There were only about four hours left before the show started, and she still didn't have her hair or her makeup done. If she didn't find somebody quick, she knew she was screwed.  
  
The minutes passed as Sara waited, her impatience growing. Almost everyone had stopped whatever they were doing and were staring at her. A couple of the guys even came up to her and dropped a line, which she laughed at each time. It felt strange to be picked on, but at the same time, it also felt good. She liked the fact people thought she was gorgeous. But just as she thought the pickup lines were finished, one more cocky guy had to come up to her with the winning line.  
  
"Excuse me, I don't want you to think this is ridiculous or anything, but you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I just wanted to tell you that," he said. Sara immediately recognized the voice and turned around to make sure her assumption was right.  
  
"Well, McCarty, I must say, that was probably the best line I've heard all day," she replied, waiting to see the expression on his face when he realized who he had just dropped a line on.  
  
Jake simply stood still as his jaw dropped and his eyes nearly popped out of his head. "Pa. Pa. Pez?" he stuttered, almost too surprised to speak.  
  
"Yeah, it's me. Now stop staring, it's freaking me out," Sara said as she used her hand to close his mouth. He looked her up and down, wondering if what he was seeing was real or not. With his index finger, Jake gently poked her again. "Okay, Jake. Now you're scaring me. Come on, it's just Pez, your partner and friend. I just look a little different today, that's all," she added.  
  
"A little different?" he laughed. "It's practically not you! It's unreal. I hope that this is just a phase, because I don't think I'd ever get used to it."  
  
"I take it you've never seen me in a dress," she replied. "Well, you'd better find a camera quick because this is the first and last time."  
  
"But why?" Jake asked.  
  
"You know what tonight is, right?"  
  
"No, what?"  
  
"The Vogue Fashion Awards. Darren asked me to go with him. He had an extra ticket."  
  
"You're pulling my sleeve, right? Because I thought you'd never be caught dead at one of those events."  
  
"That's what I said about pop concerts, but I went to one of those just last week. Besides, what's wrong with trying something that most people don't expect you to try? Why the hell not yank a few chains in this department? The guys need something new to talk about around the water cooler," Sara joked as she started to walk away.  
  
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" Jake asked as he followed her down the row of desks.  
  
"Since it seems like nobody wants to page Vicky for me, I thought I'd go and find her myself," she answered.  
  
"Hold on, I think there's one more person who needs to see you before you leave." Jake dragged her towards her office where Danny was still reading the case file for the roadie murders. Jake walked in, motioning for Sara to stay outside.  
  
"Did you get that appointment?" Danny asked without looking up from the file.  
  
"Sure did, she's standing outside," Jake answered.  
  
"Who is she?"  
  
"Oh, I think you two have met."  
  
Danny looked up as Sara walked in. "Pez?" he nearly squeaked, the folder slipping out of his hands. Nothing had prepared him for this. "What the.?"  
  
"Hey, Danny. Just thought I'd come in with a dress looking like a total bimbo to scare the hell out of a few people, one of them being you," she sarcastically remarked.  
  
"Don't you think it's a bit early for Halloween?" he asked, still a little astonished by the transformation his friend had gone through.  
  
"Actually, I'm going out tonight with someone. He made me dress this way," Sara answered.  
  
"Who? Where?" the questions kept coming.  
  
"The Vogue Fashion Awards with Darren Hayes."  
  
"The guy with all the murdered roadies?"  
  
"Yeah, basically. We kinda hit it off last week. Jake can explain it to you. I have to go find Vicky. If there's one thing she knows better to do than I do, it's hair and makeup," Sara said as she left the office. She descended the stairs to the morgue to find her friend working on another case.  
  
Vicky looked up, sensing that someone was watching her, and found Sara standing at the door wearing the red dress. "Holy shit! What are you doing in a dress?" she asked.  
  
"I'm going to the Fashion Awards with Darren tonight," Sara simply replied. "And I've had enough with all the comments. I just want you to help me with my hair and makeup."  
  
"Okay, I can do that. Just sit down and I'll be right with you. Let me get a few things from my locker." 


	15. Chapter 14: A Fairy Tale Ending Yeah, Ri...

Chapter 14: A Fairy Tale Ending (Yeah, Right!)  
  
T-minus one hour before the show started and Darren was at the precinct waiting for Sara in his limo. He didn't want to go in fearing that he'd get caught. The only reason he wasn't stopped the last time was because he looked just as normal as everyone else. Tonight, however, was very different. With a black Armani tuxedo and a red silk tie, he'd easily stand out in a crowd.  
  
'Fuck it,' Darren though as he got out of the limo and walked into the precinct. Just as he reached homicide, he saw Sara ascending the steps, her hair falling down in a cascade of curls, her eyes tinted silver, and her lips a deep shade of red that matched her dress. He fell in love with her all over again as he continued to stare at the beauty in front of him. His heart raced as time seemed to slow and she walked towards him, a smile lighting up her face.  
  
Sara could see Darren standing in the room, and it seemed as if everyone disappeared. They were alone in the room, admiring each other from a distance as the space between them slowly closed. Again, they were in each other's arms, his soft lips pressed up against hers. It was a sensation that she'd never get tired of, especially the great joy that it brought her.  
  
"You look even more beautiful than ever, if that's possible," Darren whispered as he gently brushed a curl of her hair behind her ear. Sara blushed as he stroked her soft cheek with his thumb.  
  
"You look great," she commented, running her hands over the lapels of his black jacket.  
  
"Aw, aren't you two just the cutest couple," Jake sarcastically said as he walked past them, their moment broken.  
  
"McCarty! You want a three inch heel up your ass tonight?" Sara yelled back as she moved away from Darren, remembering where they were.  
  
"No, I have plenty of things up my ass tonight since you're not gonna be here," he replied. "Then again, I don't think any work is gonna be done around here since almost everyone is gonna be huddled around the TV watching you walk down the red carpet." Sara glared at him. "How does it feel to be a celebrity?"  
  
"Shut up, Jake," she hissed.  
  
"Jeez, Pez, calm down. This is all in good fun. Besides, didn't you say we needed something new to talk about around the water cooler?" Jake walked away after his last comment knowing that Sara was already fuming. The last thing he wanted to do was get on her bad side. He began to wonder why she had turned so angry so quickly. It was quite uncharacteristic of her, but it might have had to do with something biological. He dismissed the thought from his mind as he continued to walk away.  
  
"Don't like him much?" Darren asked as Sara turned to him.  
  
"He's the rookie I'm training, and he's supposed to be my friend, but he's been a total ass tonight," she replied as he took her arm and led her to the limo. "He dropped what was probably the best line I've ever heard earlier."  
  
"And what was that?" Darren questioned.  
  
"'Excuse me, I don't want you to think this is ridiculous or anything, but you are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I just wanted to tell you that,' or something along that line," Sara answered.  
  
Darren began to laugh. "I've used that line! I'm just thankful that it wasn't on you," he said.  
  
"I doubt that you really needed a line to impress me."  
  
*~*~*  
  
The camera zoomed into the crowd of reporters as a tall woman dressed in a sequined gown turned around and said, "Welcome to Radio City Music Hall and the VH1/Vogue Fashion Awards. I'm Cindy Crawford reporting for VH1 from the red carpet tonight, and what a night it is. Some of the world's finest designers, actors, and musicians have gathered here tonight. I've managed to snag ex Savage Garden lead singer Darren Hayes, who happens to be presenting the Visionary Video Award tonight." She turned to Darren and added, "You look marvelous tonight."  
  
"Thank you," he replied. "Armani is one wonderful man to work with when it comes to my wardrobe. You also look very nice."  
  
"My, what a charmer. So, who's the lovely lady with you tonight? Supermodel or up and coming actress?" Cindy asked, pulling Sara into the spotlight.  
  
"She's on TV!" Jake yelled over the voices of his colleagues as he continued to stare at the screen of the TV in Sara's office.  
  
All too suddenly, the little room became flooded with the entire staff of the homicide department, including Vicky, who had a reserved spot in between Jake and Danny. "Oh, my God! She looks so pretty. I did a great job with her hair and makeup, didn't I?" she asked.  
  
"Shh! They're talking," Jake replied as he turned up the volume so that everyone could hear.  
  
"Actually, she's neither," Darren said.  
  
Cindy gave him a confused look. "Then who is she?"  
  
"Sara Pezzini, one of New York's finest homicide detectives."  
  
"Oh, wow. You're a cop. That's very interesting," Cindy turned to Sara and said. "How do you know Darren?"  
  
"It's a very strange and funny story, but I don't think anyone really wants to hear about it," Sara answered shyly. The TV cameras and reporters were giving her the creeps, especially since Anastasia was still out there, somewhere.  
  
"At least give us the watered down version," Cindy begged.  
  
"Well, I was investigating a case for Darren, and we somewhat hit it off," Sara said.  
  
"Aw, that's so sweet. So you guys are officially an item?"  
  
"Yes," Darren answered as he took Sara's hand and held it up.  
  
"That's so sweet." She turned to Sara and added, "Who made that magnificent dress? And that choker is absolutely lovely. By far, you're one of the most beautiful people I've seen."  
  
"Why thank you," Sara blushed. "To tell you the truth, the dress and the choker were a gift from Darren. He has a better fashion sense than I do."  
  
"The dress was designed by Odette Christiane and the choker is Swarovski crystal," Darren explained.  
  
"Shit! How much did he spend on Pez?" Jake nearly yelled.  
  
"At least a grand," Vicky managed to mumble.  
  
"Well, you both look marvelous," Cindy said. "Have a great time tonight," she managed to add as Darren was pushed along by his bodyguard.  
  
*~*~*  
  
"That was crazy!" Sara exclaimed the moment she and Darren reached the inside of the music hall. Her heart continued to pound from all the excitement going on outside. She had never met so many reporters in her life.  
  
"Welcome to my world," Darren replied. "You can pretty much bet that you'll have a million calls tomorrow from reporters wanting to know more about our relationship. My advice is to disconnect your phone and get a new number."  
  
Sara merely laughed. She wasn't ready to take such drastic measures. They found their seats in the large theater and waited for the show to begin.  
  
That night had definitely been a night to remember for Sara. She had never seen so many celebrities in her life, and the fashion was incredible. But as the night wore on, something began to dwell in the back of her mind. It started off as a slight throb, but progressed into a full blown headache at the post show party Darren had dragged her to. It was more than just a headache, though. Images began to pop up in her head, images of death and destruction in another part of the world, somewhere in the desert. Where, she did not know.  
  
As Sara and Darren finally climbed into their limo near daybreak, the pain and the pictures had reached a disturbing level. Darren could see that she had become less and less sociable as the night progressed, and now he could see the agonizing pain she was in.  
  
"Sara, what's wrong?" he asked as he pulled her close to his body. She was quite warm.  
  
"I think I'm getting a migraine, but I'm also seeing things," she replied as her head rested on his shoulder.  
  
Darren took her hand and instantly linked to her. He could see and feel everything that Sara was experiencing. It disturbed him to see such horrible things. As he pulled away, Sara's cell phone began to vibrate indicating an incoming message. She pulled it out of her pocket and took a look at it.  
  
"I'm watching you."  
  
Sara looked up at Darren. Another message popped up.  
  
"We'll meet again."  
  
The Twisted, Tied Up, and Tangled Series Will Continue  
  
Author's Note: It's not over till the fat lady sings! Part 2 is being written in full force (aside from a couple of setbacks). Please, be patient. It's coming soon! And yes, expect a couple of characters to pop into the story (clears throat), you ought to know which one's I'm talking about. They have a MUCH bigger role in Part 2 than in part one. I hope that pleases those of you who were starting to hate me.  
  
~D 


End file.
